The Playhouse Company, a unique architectural and historical landmark in South Africa’s theatre landscape, is a world-renowned and award-winning performing arts institution located in the heart of eThekwini’s CBD.

Known for its bold and ground-breaking approach to the performing arts, The Playhouse Company is one of the country’s premier theatre facilities, thriving on artistic integrity, excellence and a high standard of business ethics and corporate governance.

Living up to its mandate to develop and promote performing arts across South Africa’s diverse artistic and cultural heritage, it has been responsible for presenting over 130 different productions in the past year
alone, involving almost 500 performances and commanding audiences of over 319,000 from all corners of South Africa.

They include, among others, a concert featuring more than 150 artists, including the queen of jazz and Afro-pop, Judith Sephuma, accompanied by an 80-voice choir and a 65-piece orchestra; more than 2 000 Iscathamiya musicians showcasing their beautiful harmonies in an all-night Iscathamiya competition; a dance collaborative piece featuring the ever-steady maskandi guitarist Madala Kunene and Vishen Kemraj on tabla, with spoken word artist Ewok accompanying the Playhouse Dance Residency in collaboration with Lliane Loots› Flatfoot Dance Company;and a spectacular Maskandi concert featuring Phuzekhemisi and veteran artist Madosini amongst others. The jewel in the Playhouse›s artistic line-up was David Mamet’s much-acclaimed Race which featured multi awardwinning actors who received the Pick of the Fringe at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.

The fact that, despite a challenging financial environment, The Playhouse Company continues to stage productions that inspire dialogue, promote debate on matters affecting our people and serve as a catalyst for change and new ideas in our society. Through staging cross-cultural productions, it continues to strive to foster greater understanding between the people of our country, and to promote unity in diversity.

Christmas performances

Back by popular demand, The Playhouse Company wraps up the festive season with A Christmas Celebration, a star-studded Christmas extravaganza for the whole family that is set to light up the Playhouse Opera Theatre stage for a bumper six shows from 19 to 24 December.

Choreographed by Sean Bovim, A Christmas Celebration stars multi-award winning international singer, Judith Sephuma, with Damon Beard from East Coast Radio as Master of Ceremonies. Featuring the full KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra (KZNPO) under the baton of Lykele Temmingh, the Playhouse Chorale and the dancers from the Playhouse Dance Residency, this Christmas variety spectacular stars over 150 of the cream of South Africa’s musicians and dancers, including Bongani Tembe, Andile KaMajola, Neville D, Raphael Vilakazi, Filipa van Eck, Christopher Duigan and Nozuko Teto. The show is being directed by South African theatre giant, Ralph Lawson.

Bongani Tembe is internationally acclaimed as one of Africa’s leading artists and arts manager. After making history in 1987 when he appeared as Steurmann in Wagner’s Der Riegende Hollander - South Africa’s first nationally and internationally televised opera production --Tembe has played many leading roles, including that of King Solomon in Princess Magogo, which was broadcast live on radio in Chicago and across Europe. His role as producer includes Disney’s The Lion King, which attracted recordbreaking audiences of more than half a million to the Johannesburg production. In A Christmas Celebration, Tembe shows off the voice that has made him one of South Africa’s most popular performers.

For Your, Ears Only

Hilarious Paul Slabolepszy comedy for Playhouse Playhouse Drama Theatre : 12 - 23 December 2015.

After taking Grahamstown Festival, Johannesburg and Cape Town audiences by storm, The Playhouse Company is proud to present the hilarious Paul Slabolepszy comedy, For Your Ears Only.

Taking the form of a live radio play on stage, the production stars Paul Slabolepszy himself as Nigel the crusty old maintenance man, as well as favourite actors Michael Richard as Denton, a magniloquent (grandiose, bombastic) radio producer; Louise Saint-Claire as ‘theatrical legend’, Veronica; Sibu Radebe
as Tumi, a young TV star; Michael Gritten as Harold, an ageing ‘matinee idol’, Bheki Mqadi as Bra Doc, a middleaged actor-playwright; and Bronwyn van Graan as Pearl, a spunky ‘voice artist’. If some of these characters seem familiar to radio listeners, this is because Paul Slab, as he is affectionately known, is also head writer of Radio Vuka, the intriguing and highly-amusing SAfm radio play that airs on weekdays at 15h45.  Some of the play’s characters feature in Radio Vuka.