SCENE IT: Zabalaza Theatre Festival opening showcases performances for a very interesting country

Maria Kearns

---

‘I submit that South Africa is a very interesting country.’ Thus began the keynote speech of Mr. Lwazi Mankahla, CEO of Heineken’s Makwande Empowerment Trust, at Friday night’s exuberant Baxter Theatre gathering for the opening of the Zabalaza Theatre Festival.

Tankiso Mamabolo in the production Don’t Believe a Word I Say. Photo by Xolani Tulumani.

No one who’s spent more than a few minutes on these shores could dispute this statement, and the lineup of the 15th annual Zabalaza Theatre Festival certainly reflects the country’s seemingly limitless capacity to surprise, shock, entertain, baffle, and wound.

Theatre has a marvellous ability to heal, Mankahla explained as he contextualised his company’s sponsorship of the Baxter’s Zabalaza initiative, which supports and mentors theatre-makers and then makes the resulting productions as accessible as possible to the young audiences who are bused in to attend performances.

Friday night’s celebration paid tribute to those who have contributed to the Zabalaza Festival since its inception fifteen years ago. Proceedings included the usual speeches and thank-yous, punctuated by memorable performances by the Isibane Choir.

Lwanda Sindaphi in his production Purpose. Photo by Xolani Tulumani

The evening also served as an introduction to the fifteen shows audiences can look forward to during the week by showcasing an excerpt from each. These snippets confirmed Mankahla’s remarks about theatre’s oft-noted ability to hold up a mirror to society —in this case to South Africa’s remarkable realities, as the lineup proved greatly varied.

Potential stand-outs included Sand Gat (performed by William Adams and written and directed by Sohail Booise), Blending In? (performed by Lithetha Thamsanqa Dywili and Sivuyile Dunjwa and written and directed by Nolufefe. Ntshuntshe), Don’t Believe a Word I Say (written and performed by Tankiso Mamabolo and directed by Faniswa Yisa), LUKS (written by Thando Baliso and directed by Samkelo Zihlangu), Confused Mhlaba (written by Khayalethu Mqayisa and adapted and directed by Kitso Seti), and Purpose (written and performed by Lwanda Sindaphi and directed by Thando Doni).

The joyful evening continued out on the terrace, where the spectacular Sky Dladla and her band delighted guests until late.

Consult the Baxter’s website for the full festival programme. The Zabalaza Theatre Festival will run until 21 March 2025. Tickets can be booked online through Webtickets.