My work
This section introduces you to the range of work that I have produced. As a theatre-maker I am accustomed to working in devised and workshop theatre processes, this has offered me an opportunity to collaborate with a range of artists towards the goal of playmaking.
I have collaborated with choreographers and musicians to bring stories to life as seen in the evocative texture of the work. The work, detailed on this website, introduces you to the range of genres and themes that I engage. My work grapples with memory and the embodied practice of remembering and I employ physical theatre, dance, and song to create the storytelling landscape.
Productions
phinda ubuyele
Photography & Videography: Evaan Jason Ferreira
Poster Design: Evaan Jason Ferreira
Phinda Ubuyele debuted at the 2022 National Arts Festival Fringe Programme. The production is a two-hander that follows the story of siblings who have returned to their childhood home in the aftermath of their parents’ death. The two siblings are engaged in recounting their childhood experiences to draw a deeper understanding of who they are in adulthood. They spent their childhood under the surveillance of an abusive father and an ailing mother. In their adulthood, they are each other’s refuge as they begin to remember the events of their past to uncover the
hidden narratives of their own lives.
(Not) a place of war
Performed: Rhodes University, Grahamstown (2022)
Poster By: Evaan Jason Ferreira
(Not) A Place of War is a devised theatrical production created in collaboration with a cast of vibrant Rhodes University drama students. The work borrows text and imagery from Mia Couto’s novel Sleepwalking Land to tell the story of a war-ravaged Africa. The story is told through the perspective of a young refugee girl whose enthusiasm for storytelling allows her the opportunity to escape from her harsh reality.hidden narratives of their own lives.
ulwembu
Performed: AFDA Cape Town Third Year Graduation Production (2015)
Photograpghs By: Matthew Muller
‘ULWEMBU’ is a theatre production produced by Neil Coopen’s Empatheater in collaboration with The BigBrotherhood company in KZN. I directed a version oof this work with a cast of 3rd year students at AFDA Cape Town. The work deals with the nuanced ways in which drug abuse affects individuals, communities and the justice system.hidden narratives of their own lives.
Galela
Poster Design: Ellen Heydenrych
Debut: National Arts Festival 2018 and toured schools around the country
Well Worn Theatre Company’s Galela is a production set in the imaginative town of Sedibeng, with its once beautiful river. The show aimed to educate and entertain young audiences about matters concerning water-conservation and water pollution. The story follows three best friends who embark on a journey of making their town’s water safe again. They soon discover, however, that they have waded into hot water and that the problems affecting the town dam are deeper and murkier than at first glance.
Where she walked
Performed: Theatre Arts Admin, Cape Town (2018) National Arts Festival Arena Programme
Photographs By: Jesse Kramer
‘WHERE SHE WALKED’ weaves the past and the present together in a drama about a daughter and father’s estranged relationship. The production was inspired by Zakes Mda’s Heart of Redness. The battle between urbanization and the preservation of culture becomes the sub-text governing this estranged relationship.
Abebi
Performed: AFDA Cape Town Third Year Experimental Festival
Photograpghs By: Matthew Muller
‘ABEBI’ the girl child, is a devised theatre project conceived with students from AFDA Cape Town. The work was inspired by the novel Hand Me Down World by Lloyd Jones. The work sought to tell the dynamic and enchanting story of a mother in search of her child. Her story is told through the somewhat detailed testimonies of those who encountered her on her search.hidden narratives of their own lives.
Bayephi
Performed: National Arts Festival (2017)
Awards: Silver Ovation Award at NAF’17
‘BAYEPHI’ is a play about a young girl who commits herself to finding peace for her brother’s restless spirit. In this story, we meet a sheltered young girl, but soon we are captivated by a woman’s strength and resilience. The theatre production is set against three decades of South African history. It is a story of a young girl on the journey of remembering her beloved brother who disappeared after joining the armed struggle as a teen. She remembers the past in order to live in the present. It is a story about the loss of a loved one, the desperation that comes with keeping their memory alive and the journey of finding peace.
Nyanga
Performed: Young Directors Season (2015)
Awards: Best Student Production
‘NYANGA’ (2015-2016) a South African re-imagining of Arthur Miller’s novel ‘The Crucible’. Follows the story of a young girl, Ayanda, who lives with her grandmother in the fictional rural village of KwaNyanga. Largely reminiscent of Miller’s Crudible, the play deals with the rumours of witchcraft that cause chaos in the village. Ayanda and friends play multiple characters, from the young friends she seeks council from to the elders in the community. They play three generations of women who experience this very turmultous time in the The production was created during Madliki’s studies at Rhodes University (2015)…hidden narratives of their own lives.
