what's on
Current Event
Mr Duiker Sang the Blues’ Presents a Meditation on the Death of an Artist
13 Sep - 04 Oct 2026
The Market Theatre in partnership with the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO), Wits University Press and the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN CCA) have teamed up for the premiere of Mr Duiker Sang the Blues, a theatrical adaptation of the 2025 DALRO Can Themba Merit Award winning short story of the same name, written by Dyondzo Kwinika.
This new play-with-music tracks the life of an exceptional jazz musician named “Themba”, who enjoys a successful music career while wrestling his inner demons. Through the recollections of his family and those closest to him, the play presents a deeply intimate and honest exploration of family, friendship, memory and the complexities of mental health.
Current Event
Suzie Miller’s PRIMA FACIE premiers in South Africa
17 Sep - 11 Oct 2026
How Now Brown Cow in association with The Market Theatre presents the South African premiere of Suzie Miller’s award-winning Prima Facie, directed by celebrated theatre maker Neil Coppen (Isidlamlilo/The Fire Eater; Animal Farm; Tin Bucket Drum).
It will run from 16 Sept – 4 Oct 2026 at The Market Theatre.
Danica De La Rey Jones (Hunting Jessica Brok; Unseen; For Colored Girls) performs the role of Tessa, a brilliant young barrister who climbs her way up from working class origins to the top of her game: defending, cross-examining and winning. Tessa believes in the legal system, until a brutal attack turns her world upside down as she navigates the very same system she once championed. Now put on trial herself, re-traumatised through her cross-examination, she finds herself questioning everything she believed about justice.
Current Event
the Kippies Fringe 2026
10 July - 6 Dec 2026
The Market Theatre is proud to announce the return of the Kippies Fringe, curated for the second year running by The Art Cave (Philangezwi Nxumalo and Tebogo Malapane). The 2026 programme – which unfolds from July to December 2026 at Kippies – promises a bold and dynamic fringe offering that engages multiple generations, themes and communities.
This year’s iteration, in the 50th year of The Market Theatre, marks a significant milestone for The Art Cave, while reaffirming The Market Theatre’s commitment to bridging access, empowering up-and-coming storytellers and developing new audiences.
Current Event
The Word N Sound Poetry League
11 April - 13 Dec 2026
The Word N Sound Poetry League is one of South Africa’s leading spoken word platforms, bringing together emerging and established poets in a vibrant live slam series. For over a decade, it has been a home for bold voices, powerful performance, and poetic excellence.
Now in Season 12, the League runs monthly from April to November 2026, creating a journey of competition, creativity, and community, before culminating in December with the Word N Sound Poetry Festival, a three-day celebration of spoken word and live literature.
Upcoming Event
SHOCKWAVE Marks Pride Month
15 Oct - 08 Nov 2026
The Market Theatre acknowledges Pride Month with Chantal Stanfield’s brand new play, SHOCKWAVE, a compelling 1980s drama directed by David Dennis running from 15 Oct – 8 Nov 2026.
Set against a turbulent political landscape marked by the State of Emergency, deepening social divisions and the spreading fear of the so-called ‘gay plague’, a young man navigates questions of his sexuality.
At the heart of the play is the character of Larry, who is trapped by fear and prejudice. Larry is forced to seek lodging with a deeply religious widow on the Cape Flats, where police casspirs skulk on every corner.
Upcoming Event
The Breasts of Tiresias
15 Oct - 08 Nov 2026
Grounded in the lived experience of being a trans man, “The Breasts of Tiresias” is a provocative new work that draws deeply on the life of Angelo de Klerk, who co-wrote the play with its director, Malcolm Purkey.
The production stars Gerard Bester and Sandi Dlangalala, with live music created by Carlo Mombelli and additional material by Renos Spanoudes.
Rooted in truth and identity, the production offers an intimate and compelling exploration of gender and transformation against the backdrop of heritage and social conformity.
Upcoming Event
Radical Joy Awaits at The Market Theatre’s Inaugural Queer Festival
21 - 25 Oct 2026
This year’s Pride Month is set to be a theatrically rich, exhilarating affair as The Market Theatre presents its first ever Queer Festival, running from 21 to 25 October 2026. This new initiative aims to bring together a mix of nine performances across cabaret, drama, live concert, dance and new writing.
“With this inaugural iteration, we enter a bold new chapter, promising a vibrant celebration of identity, resistance and radical joy. The Market Theatre has always thrived on being home to the South African story across all backgrounds and experiences. With this festival, we once again make a statement of safe belonging and free expression,” said Greg Homann, Artistic Director at The Market Theatre Foundation.
Upcoming Event
Evita Bezuidenhout back at The Market Theatre for one performance only!
21 Oct 2026
Evita Bezuidenhout is now 91, always 10 years older than her imposter. She has been in the public domain since April 1981 when she caught the public's ear and eye at the Market Theatre in 'Adapt or Dye'. She became the South African Ambassador in the Independent Homeland Republic of Bapetikosweti. During 1981 - 1994 she has experienced the dramas of the National Party's chalk becoming the ANC's cheese.
Today, as a member of the ANC, she is still cooking for reconciliation in the kitchen of Luthuli House. Tannie Evita has been invited to attend the 50th anniversary year of the Market Theatre. Although she keeps her opinions carefully to herself some things just cannot be restrained.
Upcoming Event
Bum Stuff: A Cheeky Cabaret with an Anal Fixation
22 - 25 Oct 2026
Bum Stuff: A Cheeky Cabaret with an Anal Fixation gets to the bottom of our complicated relationship with the bum. Through comedy, music and three personal journeys, the show explores pleasure, shame, masculinity, faith, queer identity and sexual health.
As Vuli, Kabous and Saiid confront inherited beliefs and make surprising discoveries about their bodies and desires, the show travels from ancient history and religious taboo to consent, lubricant, toys and too many bum puns. Funny, frank and unexpectedly tender, it invites audiences to reconsider what our discomfort with the bum reveals about us, and what becomes possible when curiosity replaces shame.
Upcoming Event
The Johannesburg Queer Chorus
22 Oct 2026
Join the Johannesburg Queer Chorus for a choral exploration of the queer experience in Johannesburg, from the 1960s to the present day, as part of The Market Theatre’s inaugural Queer Festival.
Through South African music, queer anthems and choral pieces we want to bring to life our community’s struggles, parties, protests, losses and indominable spirit.
Whether you’re just starting to explore queer history, or reliving it many years later, we want to share it with you so we can all step forward, in hope for the future, and in pride.
Upcoming Event
Girls of the Golden West
24 Oct 2026
Girls of the Golden West, created by Thami Tshabalala through the prestigious Barney Simon Residency at the start of 2026, is presented as part of the Market Theatre’s inaugural Queer Festival.
The work treats the body as a living archive, carrying inherited memory, silence, interruption, gesture and excess where official histories have failed to speak. Drawing on underground modes of survival such as kinship, ritual and embodied storytelling, it foregrounds Black queer presence as both vulnerable and defiant.
Through an act of self-revelation and resistance, the performance reclaims the Black queer body as a political and creative force, asserting visibility and agency on its own te
Upcoming Event
Vuyelwa Maluleke's The Blue Album Returns to Jo'burg
24 Oct 2026
The Blue Album is a one-woman show that merges intimate monologue and movement to stage the brutal phenomenon of corrective rape, a form of sexual violence employed by perpetrators in an attempt to discipline lesbians into socially legible performances of heterosexuality. Set in the township of Makaleng, the work follows Khumo as she revisits the spaces, relationships, and memories that mark her coming-of-age as a Black lesbian woman.
Winner of the 2025 Kippies Fringe Award for outstanding performance, this production acts as both archive and witness; it names and implicates the audience in an encounter with the lived realities of Black lesbian life in South Africa.
Upcoming Event
The Jury Experience
31 Oct 2026
Step into the world of justice with The Jury Experience, where you become the jury in a live, interactive trial. This immersive courtroom drama challenges you to examine witness testimonies, cross-examine key players, and assess forensic evidence, all while live actors present compelling arguments in front of a cinematic screen.
As you engage with the case, you’ll make decisions at pivotal moments, with your final vote determining the fate of the accused: guilty or innocent.
Upcoming Event
Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty
01 Nov 2026
⭐ Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty has arrived in Johannesburg! This beloved tale is brought to life with classical dance, stunning choreography, and beautiful glow-in-the-dark costumes. Get your tickets for Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty in a Sparkling Show in Johannesburg!
Highlights
🩰 Six incredible local dancers light up the stage
✨ Glow-in-the-dark costumes transform every movement into a radiant display
NEWS
The Market Theatre’s 50th Birthday Weekend: A Celebration of the South African Story
19 June – Sunday, 21 June 2026
The Market Theatre Foundation is excited to announce The Market Theatre’s 50th birthday weekend celebrations, running from Friday, 19 June – Sunday, 21 June 2026 at The Market Theatre in Newtown. The anniversary festival will comprise a special performance entitled “Let’s Meet at The Market”, exhibitions, surprise appearances, a wall with the names of people who have shaped the Theatre, talks as well as a brand new play acknowledging the historic week in which the theatre opened in June, 1976.
Each of these activities stand as a touchpoint inviting audiences to feel and be a part of the Theatre’s 50-year-strong internationally renowned legacy.
Skin We Are In – 3rd Term Tour
The thought-provoking school production Skin We Are In returns from 3–27 August, bringing powerful conversations about race, identity and belonging to young audiences. Through storytelling, music and audience interaction, the play encourages empathy and challenges misconceptions about skin colour. For school bookings and enquiries, contact Anthony Ezeoke (Audience Development Specialist) at AnthonyE@markettheatre.co.za or 083 246 4950.
