THEATRE
Sophiatown not just song and dance about nostalgia
Market Theatre brings back the hit musical Sophiatown for a longer season
When the musical Sophiatown was staged at the Market Theatre in Newtown in 2016 as part of the theatre’s 40th anniversary, it was meant to run for six days. However, seats at the production were packed and three more shows were added, which quickly sold out too. And in March, when Mbongeni Ngema’s Sarafina was staged at the State Theatre in Pretoria, more than 25,000 tickets were sold ahead of its opening. Ngema announced that Sarafina would tour the country for at least three years after its season ended at the State Theatre. Now the Market Theatre has brought back Sophiatown for a longer season. Its director, Malcolm Purkey, is confident the huge John Kani Theatre will be filled until the run ends on May 14. There is hunger for well-crafted and well-executed theatre steeped in history. Could it be that South Africans are, generally speaking, a nostalgic people who will not leave the past where it belongs — in the past? "No. It has absolutely nothing to do with nostalgia. In the 19...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.