I was bowled over by An Unexpected Guest by Lindy Wilson, which was staged at the Masque One-Act Play Festival, 2026.

There were two programmes at the 2026 festival: The Blackbird and Bottle Service; Lady Marmalade and An Unexpected Guest

The Blackbird is by Clive Myburgh and was directed for the festival, by Kerith Coulson.  The Blackbird cast: Patrick Jordi, Gabriella Roughton and Alex Ross.


Bottle Service is by Savannah Steyn and was directed by Andrea Grant. The cast: Liam Joseph Mick and Rylin Ganesan.

An Unexpected Guest is by Lindy Wilson and was directed by Kaulana Williams.  The cast: Robert Kitto, Yuri Behari-Leak, Ruth-Anne Lake and Andy Rabagliati.

Lady Marmalade is by Kudzai Mhangwa and was directed by Tanya Smith. Cast: Danielle van Niekerk, Likhona Sphamandla Diba, Victoria Fokkens, Bridget Mullins and Dunty La Trobe

I was impressed and captivated by The Blackbird/The Bottle Service. I loved the quirky Bottle Service – which has babies. Review here: https://thecaperobyn.co.za/review-impressive-work-at-masque-one-act-play-festival-2026/

Unfortunately I was only able to watch An Unexpected Guest and was not able to stay for Lady Marmalade. That play – and production – received raves from people I know.

I rave about An Unexpected Guest and here is a short review as time is not on my side today and I want to document Lindy Wilson’s exceptional drama, the staging, direction and performances.

So this play festival is hosted by the Masque and falls under the ambit of “community theatre”. Broadly speaking, the Masque is a home for the so-called AmDram societies in Cape Town. However, as I have said many times, I personally dislike the term “amateur”. Let us just say that, in general, the work at the Masque is without remuneration. They also host numerous productions which are tagged as “professional productions” – meaning that the performers and team take home some form of salary. Anyway, lets us not get hung by up by professional vs non-professional. Increasingly, we are seeing a confluence between sectors, with artists swinging between sectors. And why not.

Here we have the Masque’s annual one act festival, conceptualised to nurture South African writers. The process takes place over a year, with play readings and mentoring. 

I want to talk about Lindy Wilson’s An Unexpected Guest. She is an acclaimed filmmaker and this was her debut play. The publicity blurb tells us that it “is set in 1965 America, where the arrival of a former anti-apartheid activist at the home of newlyweds Mark and Justine Rutherford forces long-buried truths to the surface. This thoughtful drama explores loyalty, identity and the lasting impact of political struggle on personal relationships.”

Yes, that and a lot more. There are shades of Albee and I thinking of Who is Afraid of Virginia Wolf in the articulately constructed narrative which straddles ideology, politics, the personal, with a vigorous romantic narrative thrust throughout. Vivid protagonists are imaged against a context of South African white exile in the 60s. It is a drama shredded by in trauma, guilt, complicity, accountability. What would you do in a situation, with the barrel of a gun at your head? What would we all do? Uneasy questions which haunt as a society, perched on the legacy of Apartheid and Wilson, execrates through the quagmire, without making it into an “issue” or “period” play. Superb performances. Detailed and clever set – with the inclusion of a mufti level set in part. The detail of the props was extraordinary – rotary phone, appliqued covers on the couch which was very late 60s.  Superb soundscape.


I didn’t like the stage hands clunking on and off, moving props around. It could perhaps do with a bit of a trim, in terms of length. The sound could do with levelling – but hey – this was the premiere of the play – on a tight budget. It is an outstanding play and I hope that it will be staged again on the independent theatre circuit.

Ruth-Anne Lake in An Unexpected Guest by Lindy Wilson, which was staged at the Masque One-Act Play Festival, 2026. The cast also featured: Robert Kitto, Yuri Behari-Leak and Andy Rabagliati. Direction was by Kaulana Williams.
Danielle van Niekerk, Likhona Sphamandla Diba, Victoria Fokkens and Bridget Mullins in Lady Marmalade by Kudzai Mhangwa which was staged at the Masque One-Act Play Festival, 2026. Direction was by Tanya Smith. The cast also featured Dunty La Trobe.

❇ Featured image: Robert Kitto and Yuri Behari-Leak in An Unexpected Guest by Lindy Wilson which was staged at the Masque One-Act Play Festival, 2026. The cast also featured Ruth-Anne Lake  and Andy Rabagliati. Direction was by Kaulana Williams.