The work is conceived as a physical and performative comic meditation on the interface between contemporary tech and The Fool, The Everyman and The Innocent. Using precise physicality, and Buckland’s propensity for satirical verbal scripts and vocality, the show explores how social media – on mobile phones, and more recently, early renditions of AI – is impacting the lives of contemporary humans.
Location: kykNET Scaena Theatre
Liefde, Lafras
Lafras dies, but never leaves the house. Gertie must learn to live with her husband’s ghostly existence while trying to resume her own life. As they experience a strange second honeymoon, Lafras slowly loses his strength and presence, questioning everything from God to love and the meaning of life. Gertie, however, knows what she must do – and ultimately decides to take control of her own future, even if it means letting him go.
Eugene
Eugene, based on Kirby van der Merwe’s acclaimed novel, is a raw, poetic portrait of a man between worlds. Streetwise yet seemingly middle-class, he is a flâneur, seeker, and lost son who truly sees. The production explores marginalised masculinity, mental health, and trauma, touching on love, hate, trust, betrayal, and forgiveness. With Brechtian distancing, his journey becomes a search for integrity and humanity amidst injustice and despair – compelling and stylish.
A co-production of Suidoosterfees, Vrystaat Kunstefees & Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees, supported by NATi, the Festival Enterprise Catalyst (FEC), the Jobs Fund & Het Jan Marais Nationale Fonds
Kinderlê
A grudge, they say, is a painful thing to nurture. Namas and Bushmen are often portrayed as peaceful people – people who give when they must give. Like Hannah, Maria prayed to God for a child, and Dammas was given to Dawid and Maria. But on a Sunday in 1867, their camp, Nona-Ams, was attacked. Thirty-two Nama children were killed. The God who gives also takes back. This play reveals a lesser-known Northern Cape history – a story about motherhood, faith, and scars that still lie across Namaqualand.
A co-production of the Stellenbosch Toyota Woordfees and the Suidoosterfees, supported by NATi and Festival Enerprise Catalyst (FEC), in collaboration with the Jobs Fund.
Vrou Ens. 1.2
“Hello, Sussa. I hope you’re well?” “It doesn’t always go so well, Mom.”
Come meet Vanessa (Sussa) and hear everything that’s going on in her mind. This time, she laughs at herself – and a little at others too.
Lots of love, xxx
Lemoene, Lemoene, Lemoene, Lemoene, Lemoene
In a South Africa where people are allowed only 140 words a day, two young lovers must learn to live with silence and fight with words. How do you say “I love you” when language itself has become dangerous? This moving play explores what love, freedom, and the power of a person’s voice mean within constraints.
A KKNK- and Suidoosterfees production made possible by NATi and supported by Festival Enterprise Catalyst (FEC), in collaboration with the Jobs Fund.
Jakob
Jakob is a compelling story about a strange little boy, and about love, light, and everything reflected in between. The central theme revolves around prejudice and tells the story of a child born different who is rejected by the community he lives in. The drama follows Jakob’s journey through his childhood and explores how he learns to live with his exclusion.
