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Woza Albert! will take to the stage at the Market Theatre’s Barney Simon Theatre from 15 to 26 July as part of the venue’s 50th anniversary celebrations, marking the homecoming of one of South Africa’s most influential works of protest theatre.
Created by Mbongeni Ngema, Percy Mtwa, and Barney Simon, Woza Albert! premiered at the Market Theatre in 1981, at the height of apartheid during one of South Africa’s darkest periods. Blending sharp satire with humour and compelling storytelling, the play asks a provocative question: what would happen if Morena (Jesus) returned to apartheid South Africa.
As Morena travels across the country, he meets ordinary South Africans living under apartheid, revealing lives shaped by oppression, poverty, and injustice that remain as thought-provoking today as they were when the play first premiered.
Premiering during one of apartheid’s most repressive periods, Woza Albert! challenged censorship by exposing the harsh realities of people’s lives under the regime.
With minimal staging and just two actors playing multiple roles, Woza Albert! relied on physical theatre, sharp dialogue, and imagination to create a theatrical experience that resonated with audiences in South Africa and abroad.
Its seamless blend of humour, satire and social commentary helped establish it as one of South Africa’s most influential theatre productions.
Who is taking the stage?
Hamilton Dhlamini returns as both director and performer for this revival, sharing the stage with Thulani Mtsweni. Together, the two performers will embody dozens of characters, showcasing their remarkable versatility as they tell the stories of ordinary black South Africans living under the apartheid regime.
As the Market Theatre marks its 50th anniversary, the return of Woza Albert! is a fitting tribute to the theatre’s legacy. Known as “The Theatre of the Struggle”, the Market Theatre earned international recognition for producing fearless works that confronted apartheid and gave a platform to voices that had long been silenced.
Few productions helped define the Market Theatre’s identity as profoundly as Woza Albert!, making its return all the more significant as the theatre celebrates 50 years of storytelling.
Market Theatre’s Artistic Director Greg Homann described the revival as a homecoming, saying: “Woza Albert! is woven into the DNA of the Market Theatre.”
He said the production’s return honours the theatre’s history while reflecting on South Africa’s journey over the past 50 years. Since premiering in 1981, Woza Albert! has toured internationally, earning praise at the Edinburgh Festival and in cities including Berlin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Philadelphia.
The play has received numerous awards and remains one of the defining works of South African theatre, continuing to be studied in schools and universities.
More than 40 years after its debut, Woza Albert! returns to the stage where it first made history, offering audiences the rare opportunity to experience one of South Africa’s most influential plays in its original home.
Woza Albert! information
- Dates: Wednesday 15 July - Sunday 26 July
- Location: Barney Simon Theatre, Market Theatre, Newton
- Tickets: R110 - R220 via Webtickets
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