Soul 9811

Soul 9811 believes that they have fulfilled their contractual obligation as a soul, however someone disagrees and stands between them and their ambitions.

Soul 9811 believes that they have fulfilled their contractual obligation as a soul, however someone disagrees and stands between them and their ambitions of sipping margaritas in the afterlife. Negotiating ways that they will not have to return to the mortal world, Soul 9811 eventually has to admit defeat and is forced to sift through different options in search of the body they will inhabit in what will (hopefully) be their final life on Earth.

Two Shows:

• 28 January at 13:00
• 1 Feb at 16:00

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Vuka Machel

Vuka Machel is a two hander play which depicts a life in the day of two chicken stealers who live in the ghetto.

Vuka Machel is a two hander play which depicts a life in the day of two chicken stealers who live in the ghetto. The two characters often get up to mischief as there is not much for them to do in the area which they reside. The play comically explores the relationship of the two characters through conversations they have on a daily basis, the conversations range from who is the best looking between them to how government officials spend their money. 

The play focuses on the concept of Samora Machel (former leader of Mozambique) waking up to find out that Nelson Mandela had married his wife a Graca Machel. Although the play mentions two major African political figures it is not satirical. It is meant for strictly comical purposes. The play concludes with very controversial yet thought provoking speech. It addresses the shortcomings of Mandela as a statesman and it takes a view on current social issues in South Africa.

Two Shows:

• 29 January at 12:30
• 1 February at 11:00

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Two fingers at work

2 Fingers @ work is a reference to how ones fingers can be a sign of either success or a great downfall.

In South Africa, Fingers are used as a signal whether for transport, communal communication or to offend, in the busy setting of the city, fingers work as a signal for something based on time and context. 2 Fingers @ work is a reference to how ones fingers can be a sign of either success or a great downfall. The story follows Lwando Mkhize from the Eastern Cape who is a fine arts prodigy, whose talent is placed with his fingers, in his community he doesn’t fit the patriarchal figure of masculinity. He’s an artist; a gift he shares with his mother who is a dress maker, him and his father and younger brother’s relationship is difficult.

Two Shows:

• 30 January at 11:00
• 31 January at 16:00

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uBunzima Bendoda

This play exposes and interrogates these multiple truths exploring notions of man.

In a country filled with myths, assumption, cultural rules, and religious rules and societies views on what defines a man - how one becomes a man through how he behaves, looks, speaks and how successful he is. This play exposes and interrogates these multiple truths exploring notions of man having their own identity, own body, own spirt and having the right to define their own manhood. The play follows the journey through the right of passage of young man born in the current South Africa from boyhood to manhood.  This metamorphosis comes with a great deal of social expectations. Throughout the play we are exposed to different kinds of man in different social, political and economic standards – the audience is faced with an array of questions. Each man on their journey, each asking questions and each on the path of self-discovery begin to find answers. These answers forming the broad brush strokes of the bigger picture reflecting our post-modern, post-apartheid, South African society. In the midst of everything, the journey points out that it is up to each individual, each man to define manhood for themselves.

Two Shows:

• 28 January at 12:30
• 30 January at 11:00

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When Hope met Themba

This play follows the loves of two university students, Themba and Hope.

The play is set in two different worlds, a blue world and a brown world. It follows the lives of two university students, Themba, a Black 21 year old male studying Politics and Hope a White 20 year old student studying Drama at the same University.  These two live separately in their blue and brown worlds. These two individuals coming from their two distinct worlds one day meet at a campus counselling group session focused on issues of identity. Here Themba his bourgeoning regret with the decision he took of studying politics that was mainly driven by his parents while his lifelong passion for acting continues to linger.

Two Shows:

• 28 January at 11:00
• 31 January at 11:00

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Itumeleng

The work focuses on the social constraints and convention of religion and how the system affects or excludes the individual minority.

This production is a presentational piece of theatre work that is created by borrowing from some of the ideologies of Black aesthetics, a bit of Greek Theatre in a heightened mode of performance.  The work focuses on the social constraints and convention of religion and how the system affects or excludes the individual minority.  Themes of identity and gender are also explored in this story about a homosexual who faces many challenges while trying to discover his position in the church. The journey of self-discovery is rooted by a traumatic experience in order to recover and find inner peace and happiness.

Two Shows:

• 28 January at 16:30
• 1 February at 14:30

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Ubambo

Ubambo is a theatrical piece which deals with the discourse of Black love.

Ubambo is a theatrical piece which deals with the discourse of Black love. The narrative is a journey through time which follows three couples in three different time periods:- pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial. It creatively deals with the questions of land and reveals the source of th4e strength of African societies. Ubambo’s Black Aesthetics are the backbone of this piece of Theatre.  It uses Black poetry, song and dance along with presentational Theatre as mediums to be the fibre in which the narrative is expressed.

Two Shows:

• 29 January at 15h00
• 30 January at 16h30

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The Soweto Exchange

A jazzy cross-cultural collaboration of artists from Chicago and South Africa, fusing the energy of Englewood with the spirit of Soweto, through music.

Led by distinguished saxophonist and cultural stalwart - Ernest Dawkins, the Soweto Exchange are a multi-generational ensemble featuring WITS' own World travelled Chantal Willie-Petersen on bass, Keo Kolwane on Voice, and the young Linda Sikhakhane on Trumpet.Jetting in from the South Side of Chicago are pianist Alexis Lombre; drummer Jeremiah Collier EMCEE Artemis and DJ Brother El.

Get your tickets online at Webtickets from R30 - R90 and at the Wits Theatre box office, with discounts available for students and pensioners both pre-sale and on the day. 

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25 Years of Excellence Gala Concert

Celebrate with the Wits Choir with their 25 years of Excellence Gala Concert.

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The Threepenny Opera

An adaptation of The Threepenny Opera: a beggars' opera by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill.

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Helton-Thomas Duo in Concert

Jonathan Helton on Saxophone and Steven Thomas on Cello including works by Jacob, Villa-Lobos, Meyer, Elliot, Chang, Richards and Geico.

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uNosilimela

In uNosilimela we inherit a tempestuous musical journey and the attendant physical storytelling idioms which rain from our ancients.

Afrofuturism will call this an act of making the invisible, visible. Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa, who performed parts of the Storyteller, Magadlemzini and Mvelinqanqi when the play was last recorded in 1975, is the originator of the story of Nosilimela, daughter of the Princess of the stars.

The Storyteller gathers children around a great indaba about Kimamireva who somewhere in the midst of time escapes a war sparked by the evil tyrant Zaharalel.

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Wits Theatre 969 Festival 2019

Wits Theatre’s 969 Festival celebrates its 16th birthday this year with a lineup of 14 productions in dance, music, drama and comedy.

The Festival runs from 18-28 July at the Wits Theatre in Braamfontein which will showcase work from all over the Country.

This year’s line-up has three award winners fresh off the stages of Makhanda National Arts Festival.   Fruit, Unfathomable and Currently Gold.   The Wits School of Music has its annual Wits Trio Concert playing at the Atrium on 21 July which usually draws a large crowd due to its’s popularity. This years’ Theatre and Performance production which has played at NAF is a double bill “ Two Can Play” and features some talented TAP students including a young Sax player. The Wits Theatre - Division of the Wits School of Arts will feature productions for all age groups i.e the Young Scientist – a mother and daughter initiative which will appeal to children from 4 years old.

Click here for more information on the lineup and ticket sales.

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Converting Eviction

The performance on the 30th will be followed by a panel discussion with Hennie van Vuuren, Geraldine Frieslaar and Khwezi Gule.

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