Magnet Theatre's mAnJE! MaNJe: a contemporary epic at Baxter Flipside
A scene from mAnJE! MaNJe (an epic), playing at The Baxter Theatre this month.
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From 17 to 25 April 2026, the multiple award-winning Magnet Theatre will deliver a theatrical feast with their latest production, mAnJE! MaNJe (an epic), at the Baxter Flipside. This unique show, featuring 10 performances, promises to take audiences on an extraordinary journey with evening shows at 19:30 and Saturday matinees at 15:00.
This latest run follows the resounding success of mAnJE! in November 2024, which saw the production sell out at the Magnet Theatre and achieve seven nominations at the prestigious 2025 Fleur du Cap awards. Noteworthy nominations included Best New South African Script, Best Production, Best Ensemble, and Best Actress, with composer Neo Muyanga winning Best Original Composition.
The production's creative team boasts an impressive pedigree, with direction by Mark Fleishman, musical direction from Lungiswa Plaatjies, stunning theatre designs by Craig Leo, dynamic choreography by Ina Wichterich, and immersive visual projections by the Vienna-based South African artist Marcus Neustetter. Audiences and critics alike have lauded the production.
Featuring a stellar line-up of musicians, including Lungiswa Plaatjies and Sibusiso Matsimela, alongside singers Zolina Ngejane and Luvo Rasemeni, the production also showcases the talents of Jennie Reznek and Mwenya Kabwe, complemented by the Magnet Theatre Youth Company’s roster of exceptional performers. These remarkable talents have come together to create what has been described as a “spectacular, utterly exciting and exceptional theatrical experience.”
Buhle Stefane & Mihlali Bele in Manje Manje (an epic) running at the Flipside at the Baxter.
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mAnJE! MaNJe (an epic) draws inspiration from the mythical figure of Daedalus, an ancient Greek inventor and engineer, reflecting on our contemporary struggles with technology, big data, and climate change. This modern epic invites audiences to ponder what defines our era: 'Meat, fire, metal and plastic. What will come to define this modern era?' Fleishman explained that the production weaves together threads of myth and narrative from the ancient Minoan civilisation on Crete, reimagined through an African lens.
“We can assemble the various story fragments into episodes that together form an epic construction,” he said.
Initial seeds of this ambitious show were planted during its development at the Centre for the Less Good Idea in 2023, initially presented as an 11-minute epic. Generously supported by grants from the National Lotteries Commission and the National Arts Council of South Africa, the production has been crafted with precision and artistry.
As audiences are drawn into this immersive experience, Mark Fleishman aims to create a contemporary epic that reflects our current moment. “In the production we are trying to create an epic form for the 21st century that reveals something about the contemporary moment and our sense of time,” he said.