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Roti Queen Comes to the Kippies Fringe

The Market Theatre Kippies Fringe presents Roti Queen, a one-woman theatre production written by Shika Budhoo and Dhaveshan Govender, directed by Govender and performed by Budhoo.

Following successful runs at the Red Mango Arts Festival, the Umhlanga Saree and Sweetmeat Festival, Westville Theatre and Durban’s 031 Theatre Festival, Roti Queen comes to Kippies Fringe from 24–27 September 2026. The production explores identity, family, sacrifice and self-discovery through a distinctly South African Indian lens.

At a time when conversations around marriage, caregiving and women’s roles continue to shape public life, Roti Queen opens a window into what happens behind closed doors. As families navigate shifting expectations, financial pressure and emotional labour, the play reveals the quiet sacrifices, compromises and resilience that often hold them together.

At the centre of the story is Amrita, a Durban wife and mother preparing for her nineteenth wedding anniversary dinner. As she kneads dough, flips rotis and listens to Bollywood music on the radio, memories begin to rise and long-buried questions surface. 

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Through humour, dance, multiple characters and live roti-making on stage, the play moves between laughter and reflection, revealing the hidden emotional worlds beneath everyday routine. Audiences have described it as “utterly authentic, riveting and highly entertaining”, “powerful and poignant” and “storytelling at its epitome”.

The Market Theatre Kippies Fringe presents Roti Queen, a one-woman theatre production written by Shika Budhoo and Dhaveshan Govender, directed by Govender and performed by Budhoo.

Following successful runs at the Red Mango Arts Festival, the Umhlanga Saree and Sweetmeat Festival, Westville Theatre and Durban’s 031 Theatre Festival, Roti Queen comes to Kippies Fringe from 24–27 September 2026. The production explores identity, family, sacrifice and self-discovery through a distinctly South African Indian lens.

At a time when conversations around marriage, caregiving and women’s roles continue to shape public life, Roti Queen opens a window into what happens behind closed doors. As families navigate shifting expectations, financial pressure and emotional labour, the play reveals the quiet sacrifices, compromises and resilience that often hold them together.

At the centre of the story is Amrita, a Durban wife and mother preparing for her nineteenth wedding anniversary dinner. As she kneads dough, flips rotis and listens to Bollywood music on the radio, memories begin to rise and long-buried questions surface. Through humour, dance, multiple characters and live roti-making on stage, the play moves between laughter and reflection, revealing the hidden emotional worlds beneath everyday routine. Audiences have described it as “utterly authentic, riveting and highly entertaining”, “powerful and poignant” and “storytelling at its epitome”.