What’s on, what’s worth your evening, and why.
A story we think we know begins somewhere unexpected, with a newborn who cannot yet stand. By turning Mary Shelley’s novel inside out, this Frankenstein makes us feel the loneliness of being abandoned long before we are asked to judge what that loneliness becomes. It leaves one lingering question: what do we owe the things we bring into the world?
Verdi’s Macbeth follows a couple’s slide into ambition, blood and madness, with a score that darkens as their guilt deepens. A chilling chorus of witches, a stained white dress and singing full of heartbreak make this a tale of power and conscience that still feels uncomfortably current.
Hairspray returns to a South African stage with big voices, non-stop dancing and a story about the right to be seen that lands as warmly as ever. It is a joyful, fast-moving evening that has you laughing first and thinking a little later.
Estate agents, property influencers and neighbourhood watch groups get the full satirical treatment in a show that is silly, strange and gleefully committed. It is the kind of comedy that leaves you almost beside yourself, with a gentle sting about the way we sell and buy the South African dream.
Two sisters, one bathtub and a birthday cake burning in the oven. Ladies of Lavare turns an absurd predicament into a warm, funny and surprisingly moving look at growing older. Part comedy, part journey through memory, it meets our fears about ageing with grace and leaves plenty of room for joy.
A comedian best known for turning domestic chaos into punchlines goes somewhere braver this time, sitting with grief and loss without ever losing the laughs. It runs quieter than his usual pace, but that restraint is exactly what makes it land. A recognisable, relieving hour for anyone whose life hasn't quite gone to plan.
Twenty years ago, the Metropolitan Opera made a risky bet that live opera could travel to a cinema screen without losing its power. This anniversary reel, spanning two decades of the Met's greatest broadcast moments, makes the case that the gamble paid off, and reminds us what it means for world-class opera to become genuinely accessible.
A woman who has spent her career trusting the legal system finds herself on the other side of it, and discovers how little room that system leaves for memory, fear and trauma. This is theatre that refuses to let you settle, built around a performance that leaves you as breathless as its subject, grappling with what justice actually costs.
This children's theatre production, drawing on the work of storyteller Dr Gcina Mhlophe, strings together short, self-contained African folktales, each one separated by song and dance, into a delightful show. Full of audience participation and warmth, it proves heritage is best passed on through joy rather than lecture.
A veteran teacher sits suspended, awaiting her fate, in a solo show that finds the comedy and the quiet dread lurking in modern education. It's a funny, sharply observed hour that lands hardest for anyone who's ever sat on either side of a parent-teacher meeting. Expect real laughs, a few uncomfortable ones, and a lot of recognition.
A young woman digs through the soil of her family's past and unearths the objects buried there, each one forcing her to confront pride, discomfort, and the messy business of belonging to Afrikaans identity and culture. A generous, clear eyed hour of theatre that stayed with me long after the lights came up.
A rusty grasp of Afrikaans couldn't get in the way of a good time at this rom-com musical. Between a catchy score, gorgeous sets and a scene-stealing supporting cast, this is old-fashioned romantic comedy done with genuine craft and joy.
