Written by Suzie Miller, Prima Facie arrives on South African soil this August with significant global credibility behind it, having dominated both the Olivier Awards and the Tony Awards. Yet the real question is not about its accolades, it’s about its relevance in a country grappling with its own deeply entrenched legal and social challenges.

At the centre of the narrative is Tessa, portrayed by Danica De La Rey Jones, a sharp, ambitious barrister who has built her career defending the accused. She understands the system, speaks its language, and thrives within its rigid framework until she is forced into a position that exposes its limitations. When she becomes the victim of a violent assault, the rules she once relied on begin to unravel.

Directed by Neil Coppen, the production does not shy away from uncomfortable truths. Instead, it leans into them, dissecting the mechanics of a legal process that often prioritises procedure over people. The notion of “evidence” is placed under scrutiny, raising a critical tension: does the system deliver justice, or simply process cases?

Positioned within South Africa’s ongoing crisis around gender-based violence, Prima Facie becomes more than a performance; it becomes a case study in systemic failure and institutional inertia. Coppen’s assertion that there is no more urgent context for this story is difficult to dispute. The play challenges audiences to move beyond passive consumption and engage with the underlying questions it raises.

Presented by How Now Brown Cow in association with The Market Theatre, the production signals a strategic alignment between storytelling and social commentary. It’s not just about raising awareness, it’s about reframing the conversation around justice itself.

Catch the Season

• Cape Town: The Baxter Theatre Centre | 4 – 29 August
• Johannesburg: The Market Theatre | 17 September – 4 October

Bookings via Webtickets (Age advisory: 14)

In an environment where legal frameworks are often viewed as definitive, Prima Facie introduces a degree of scepticism that feels both necessary and overdue. The production doesn’t offer easy resolutions, nor does it pretend to. Instead, it leaves audiences with a lingering question—when the system itself is under scrutiny, where does accountability truly begin, and who gets left behind in the process?

The post Seeking Justice in a Broken System: Prima Facie Makes Its South African Debut appeared first on Stage and Screen.

Arriving at The Baxter Theatre Centre this June before transitioning to Theatre on the Square, the production positions itself as more than a cerebral exercise. Under the direction of Jay Pather, it leans into the emotional volatility of human connection, framing quantum theory not as an abstract concept, but as a mirror reflecting the fragility of choice.

At its core, the narrative tracks Marianne, a physicist, and Roland, a beekeeper—an unlikely pairing that becomes a vehicle for exploring how relationships fracture, reform, and evolve across parallel possibilities. Played by Mwenya Kabwe and Mark Elderkin, these characters exist in multiple states: together and apart, fulfilled and fractured. The structure is deliberately fragmented, forcing audiences to confront an uncomfortable question: are outcomes ever truly within our control, or are we simply navigating pre-existing pathways?

Pather’s framing cuts through the science, grounding the production in a universally recognisable tension: the ‘what if’. It’s a concept often romanticised, yet here it’s interrogated with precision. What if a different word were chosen, a different silence maintained? Would the trajectory shift, or was it always heading toward the same conclusion?

From a performance standpoint, the success of Constellations hinges on nuance. There’s no spectacle to hide behind, just dialogue, timing, and the psychological elasticity of two actors tasked with embodying multiple realities. That alone positions this as a high-risk, high-reward production in a theatre landscape often driven by safer commercial bets.

Catch the Season

• Cape Town: The Baxter Theatre Centre | 2 – 20 June
• Johannesburg: Theatre on the Square | 23 June – 11 July

Bookings via Webtickets (Age advisory: 14)

In a cultural environment increasingly saturated with predictable storytelling, Constellations appears to take a different strategic route; one that prioritises introspection over spectacle. The question is whether audiences are willing to engage with a narrative that doesn’t offer clean answers. And perhaps more importantly, if every version of your life exists somewhere, which one are you currently living, and why?

The post Constellations: A Quantum Journey of the Heart Comes to Cape Town and Joburg appeared first on Stage and Screen.

The post Theatre on the Bay appeared first on Stage and Screen.

The post ArtsCape Theatre Complex appeared first on Stage and Screen.

The Fugard Theatre’s new digital platform, The Fugard At Home, launched on 1 June, presenting a unique opportunity to access a range of theatrical content on The Fugard Theatre’s website.

Following the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the subsequent lockdown, and the current uncertainty about when theatres will be able to safely operate again, The Fugard Theatre has launched The Fugard At Home , in response to having to cancel their 2020 Season. The Fugard At Home will be accessible from the Theatre’s website at thefugard.com.

From 1 June, theatre lovers will be able to stream some of The Fugard Theatre’s acclaimed past productions, visit the Information Hub to find out what is streaming both locally and globally, and even take a 360-degree tour of the Theatre’s foyer. Visitors can also learn more about Athol Fugard and his extensive body of work, as well as read up on the history of the building the Fugard is located in.

A highlight on the platform will be the opening of the Fugard Theatre’s production archive, where visitors can stream recorded live titles of a curated selection of The Fugard’s past productions. Available from 1 June will be Athol Fugard’s The Road to Mecca, starring South African legends Sandra Prinsloo and Marius Weyers and the award-winning Emily Child, which ran at the Fugard in 2018. The production received three Fleur du Cap Theatre Award nominations for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Set Design for the late Saul Radomsky.

In addition, the compelling production of Fugard’s “Master Harold”…And The Boys, which was staged in celebration of the Fugards tenth birthday, will also be available to stream due to popular demand, starring Desmond Dube, Kai Luke Brummer, and Siya Mayola.

The Fugard At Home will also feature, The Performer Series, which will go in to production soon. The Performer Series will provide a sterilised environment for multi-medium, single performer, performance pieces, including theatre, dance, music and more, to take place on The Fugard’s main stage, filmed and edited and then broadcast on The Fugard At Home platform. Once launched, an episode will be released per week.

The Fugard At Home will be an ever-evolving virtual platform and arts portal, including Fugard Theatre merchandise, which will be released for sale on the platform soon. For access to offers and exclusive events on The Fugard At Home, sign up as a Friend of The Fugard on our website, thefugard.com

The Fugard Theatre NPC is a not for profit company which works towards the advancement, promotion and preservation of arts and culture in South Africa, in honour of Athol Fugard. Should you wish to donate towards The Fugard Theatre’s work, you can do so by going to thefugard.com

The post The Fugard At Home appeared first on Stage and Screen.