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IsiWula

Following its powerful debut as a 12-minute isiZulu piece at the 12/12 Live Festival by POPArt, isiWula returns as a full-length theatrical experience that confronts love, betrayal, and survival in rural KwaZulu Natal. Written by Samukelisiwe Khuzwayo and directed by the award winning Aalliyah Zama Matintela, this intimate two hander stars Mncedisi Hadebe and Nolwazi Qwabe in a searing exploration of fractured dreams and buried truths.

Set in a modest village home lit by oil lamps and shadowed by unspoken truths, the play unfolds over a single night. A married couple, once tethered by love, now navigate the fragile terrain between truth and illusion. As the hours stretch, so do the fault lines,  loyalty is tested, betrayal lingers in the air like smoke, and the lies they’ve lived with begin to unravel.

isiWula does not shout its themes, it whispers them, drawing the audience into a world where the most intimate wounds are inflicted not by violence, but by absence. It’s a meditation on what remains unsaid, and what it costs to finally speak.

Show Dates

Performances will take place at the Market Theatre’s Kippies Fringe on the following dates and times:

25 September at 19:30

26 September at 19:30

27 September at 15:30 and 19:30

28 September at 15:30

Audiences can expect a raw, poetic exploration of fractured intimacy, set against the backdrop of a dimly lit village home. With its blend of physical theatre, satire, and protest driven storytelling, isiWula offers a gripping reflection on gender politics, abandonment, and the fragile hope of reconciliation.

 Creative Team

  • Writer: Samukelisiwe Khuzwayo – A rising voice in South African theatre, blending script development experience savvy with raw emotional storytelling
  • Director: Aalliyah Zama Matintela – Known for her protest driven, satirical style and award winning productions like Currently (G)Old! and Marose
  • Performers: Mncedisi Hadebe – A dynamic actor/director with credits across Brazil, Germany, and South Africa, including Naledi nominated works and Nolwazi Qwabe – A versatile performer and voice artist, celebrated for her work in Mehlala and iNtombi’nto.

Why isiWula Matters

“isiWula is not just a story it’s a mirror. It reflects the quiet violence of abandonment, the resilience of women, and the fragile hope that love might still survive the wreckage,” says director Aalliyah Zama Matintela.

With its poetic dialogue, haunting silences, and moments of unexpected tenderness, isiWula invites audiences to sit in the discomfort and beauty of what it means to truly come home.

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