After its premiere last year in Kosovo and North Macedonia, the work was hailed for being a “deeply complex” (Theatre Times) and “heartfelt piece” (SeeStage) that reimagines the theatre into “a new truth commission” (Kosovo 2.0), among other raving reviews. Following its world premiere, “Under the Shade of a Tree I Sat and Wept” now comes to South Africa for 10 compelling performances only, from 9 – 19 April 2026 at The Market Theatre. After its limited South African run, the production will then go on a much anticipated European tour to Norway, Italy, Germany, and Portugal, with more dates planned up until 2027 in New York.
A bold take at documentary theatre, the play is written by award-winning Kosovar playwright Jeton Neziraj and directed by Blerta Neziraj, with Greg Homann – Artistic Director of The Market Theatre Foundation – as dramaturg. South African performers Les Made, Bongile Gorata Lecoge-Zulu, Kensiwe Tshabalala and Gontse Ntshegang join Amernis Nokshiqi (North Macedonia), Ilire Vinca (Kosovo) and Arben Bajraktaraj (Kosovo/France) to form a sterling cast. Collectively, though deriving from their unique national contexts, the cast and creative team unpack the complications of forgiveness, amnesty and justice. The work is presented in English, with Albanian and some South African languages.
In 1990 in Kosovo, Southeast Europe, a group of former political prisoners, female students and intellectuals initiated a historical movement for blood feud reconciliation to stop the war on the horizon. By then, hundreds of Kosovar families were landlocked in blood feuds under the centuries-old customary code known as the Kanun.
The Movement for the Reconciliation of Blood Feuds quickly transformed into a big national forum, with mothers, fathers and family members publicly forgiving the blood of their beloved to the murderer’s family. In total, over 1 200 blood feuds and conflicts were settled through this courageous process, with over half a million people recorded at the last public forgiveness meeting.
In April 1996, the TRC first began its work, unfolding a deeply vulnerable and often contested process aimed at facilitating truth-telling, forgiveness and reconciliation between victims and perpetrators of apartheid-era crimes.
The play connects and contrasts these events, and is presented at the same time as the ongoing Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating allegations of political interference in the prosecution of TRC-related cases. Profoundly, this context anchors the work as a sharp commentary on collective trauma, nation-building and reconciliation.
Playwright Jeton Neziraj shares that the production relies on the two historic processes in Kosovo and South Africa to explore important questions of why and under what conditions people forgive. “By analysing why and how people forgive, we also put forward for discussion the bigger question: under what circumstances is reconciliation possible, between people, between nations.”
Greg Homann, Artistic Director of The Market Theatre Foundation, shares that – for local audiences – the objective of the play is to reflect on the TRC without memorialising it.
Homann continues, “The Market Theatre is drawn to stories that confront uncomfortable truths with nuance and imagination, while holding space for memory, justice and healing. With this work, we aim to revisit the TRC process in counterpoint to an international and contemporary context. We are compelled to explore the lack of political will to finish the business of the TRC while simultaneously acknowledging the lingering trauma. Connecting the two nations’ processes offers a powerful opportunity to explore reconciliation not as a fixed destination but a deeply human and often painful journey shaped by who gets to speak, who listens and what is remembered.”
Don’t miss this probing and playful piece that dives deep into the complexities of forgiveness and the parallel paths of restorative justice and retribution.
Tickets for “Under the Shade of a Tree I Sat and Wept” are available on Webtickets, with special prices for preview performances, groups of 4-or-more and half-price Wednesdays.
ENDS
The Market Theatre is a Division of The Market Theatre Foundation, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
For reduced price block bookings (of 10 or more) and school groups, contact Anthony Ezeoke (Audience Development) at AnthonyE@markettheatre.co.za or 083 246 4950.
For media enquiries, please contact Bongiwe Potelwa (Publicist at The Market Theatre Foundation) at bongiwep@markettheatre.co.za or (011) 832 1641.
