Afropocalypse

Afropocalypse is a new South African production, directed by Daniel Buckland and which was first performed by The Market Theatre Laboratory students as part of their First-Year production module. In their final year of study,2025,  the Lab students reworked the production and travelled with it to the National Arts Festival, where they won a GOLD Standard Bank Ovation Award.

The play, set in a post-apocalyptic South African wasteland, follows a community of traveling players who navigate this desolate landscape through the power of storytelling. As they dodge drone strikes and evade swarms of military helicopters, these intrepid storytellers encounter an unexpected audience. Compelled to share their tales, they recount stories that have survived and evolved through the cataclysm that reshaped society. The production delves into speculative narratives, exploring the events that led to the end of the world as we know it. Through four fables, the play addresses themes fundamental to the human experience: Greed, Mortality, Religion, and Unconditional Love. In exploring these themes, the players are faced with their own resilience and need to survive, highlighting the strength of the human spirit, even in the face of overwhelming despair.