Cape Town theatre explores love, desire and survival in upcoming shows
Malvolio, played by Graham Hopkins in Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'
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Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
Shakespeare has a funny way of refusing to age.
Centuries on, his plays still understand desire, ego, longing and heartbreak better than most modern scripts, which is why "Twelfth Night" feels especially at home in the month of love. Romance, after all, is rarely straightforward, and Shakespeare knew that long before dating apps did.
This open-air production gives the play a fresh, sultry spin, setting the action against a jazzy, 1960s Rome backdrop dripping in old-school glamour. Think Sofia Loren's elegance, couture silhouettes, and that unmistakable La Dolce Vita indulgence.
At the heart of "Twelfth Night" are tangled affections and mistaken identities that blur the lines between who we are and who we pretend to be.
Viola’s disguise drives the story forward, sparking misplaced attraction and emotional confusion, while themes of unreturned love, vanity and self-delusion unfold with sharp wit. Beneath the humour lies something softer, a meditation on how easily the heart can misfire.
Where: The Maynardville Open-Air Theatre.
When: Runs from Tuesday, February 3 to Saturday, March 7 at 8.15pm (times may vary).
The Lady Aoi
Yukio Mishima’s "The Lady Aoi" is obsession, jealousy, love and a touch of the supernatural all rolled into one. It explores what happens when desire gets messy and emotions you try to hide bubble to the surface.
Dark, intense and beautifully eerie, the play exposes just how fragile and tangled love and obsession can be.
Where: Artscape Theatre Arena.
When: Runs from February 14, at 3pm, until February 21 at 7.30pm.
The Girls In Their Sunday Dresses
This production follows Lady and Woman, two strangers stuck in a slow-moving food-aid queue. Between witty banter and quiet revelations, their stories surface, revealing corruption, inequality, and the small victories that keep them going.
Funny, tender, and unflinching, the play captures the grit, resilience and messy reality of everyday life in South Africa.
Where: The Baxter Theatre.
When: Runs from February 14 until March 7 at 8pm.