| What: Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival When: March 13 -22, 2026 Where: The Baxter, Cape Town Performance times: 14h30, 16h00 and19h00 Performances for the schools programme are at 10h00 and 13h00 Tickets: R40 for morning shows, R50 for afternoon shows Bookings: Webtickets and at Pick n Pay stores Block bookings: For block or schools bookings, charities or fundraisers contact Carmen Kearns on email carmen.kearns@uct.ac.za and Mark Dobson on mark.dobson@uct.ac.za Artistic Director and Curator: Mdu Kweyama |
The Battered Housewives Club, the new play by Zubayr Charles, is premiering at the Zabalaza Festival, at the Baxter Centre, March 13 -22, 2026. The play packs a punch, activating against GBV with a powerful message, told through stories of five women in Cape Town. Five very different women are bonding sadly by their experiences of being battered, physically and emotionally by the men in their lives.
Interesting play. I look forward to seeing it developed further. I would like to see the absurdity and comedy heightened, with characters fleshed out beyond conveying “issues” in this “issue” play.
Apologies at singling out an actor – it is a lovely cast – but I have to give a rapturous round of applause to Liyabona Ncana who plays the role of Siziwe. A best actress award at the Zabs? She gets my nod. Sensational performance with terrific physical comedy and timing, which offsets the “issues” and polemic of the play. One more opportunity to see The Battered Housewives Club at the Zabs – March 20 at 7pm.
Congrats to Zubayr Charles, cast and creative team for igniting important conversations. Watch the clip, link follows, where he speaks to the audience about the message of the play and the need to spread kindness and understanding. Conversation and dialogue is core to the work of Charles and those of us who follow his work, look forward to the way he engages with audiences at all his shows. This incredible creative is 31. He recently published a novel, Haram and has published a collection of poetry (launch soon) and he is an English teacher at a school. In his “spare” time, he writes plays, generally produces them and is involved in bundling events in tandem, with shows. It is not just the text of the play, the performance. It is very much about the reception and how the audiences receives the play, which is what was evidenced last night. This is key to the Zabalaza festival – incubating new plays – and inviting audiences to reflect – provide feedback and share their own stories – which is what happened last night – with a bantering and should I say – a battering of stories. See https://www.instagram.com/reel/DV_9NRVjUFA/ and https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSuCS7BCM/.
It must be mentioned that in regards to audiences, the Baxter brings in schools and community groups to watch shows, particularly during the day. I watched Incindi Yedlaka, written and directed by Buhle Stefane, yesterday, March 17 in the Studio Rehearsal Room. He also performs in the play, with a strong cast. The venue was packed with a young school audience. Their attention was totally focussed on this play shrouded by grief and death. This is signature Buhle Stefane – with his visceral imaging of text through physical theatre and performance. On a continuum from his autobiographical play, Uhambo (The Traveling), in Incindi Yedlaka (literally translated as “juice of death”?), the clock is ticking. We watch as Stefane and his actors metamorphose into anguished puppet like figures, with soft old style suitcases, emblematic of the baggage that they must bear at all times.
To quote from Buhle’s release: “In a world suffocating in violence, toxic masculinity and gun power, Phumla sits with a vision of her younger sister’s death, a traumatic memory of her father’s abuse and a mother that abandoned them.” He adds that despite all this “love, warmth and desire” is what lingers for the younger sister. He poses: “Will the prophecy prevail or will the sisters find new fates?” Is restoration and reclamation possible in the Democratic Rainbow Nation? That is the leitmotif of this heartbreaking play of “chaos and death”. And where is home? We must all wake up, is the urgent call in this play. The call to “wake up” is also very much core to The Battered Housewives Club and seems to be a preoccupation at this Zabs Festival, the 16th iteration of the festival.
Beautiful staging of Incindi Yedlaka in the Studio Rehearsal Room – impressive lighting and sound for a festival run – where set up has to occur quickly – as one show comes down and the next comes in. Incindi Yedlaka is on today, March 18 at 4pm, tomorrow March 19 at 10am and March 20 at 10am and 4pm.
Tickets to the Zabalaza Festival 2026, cost R40 for morning shows, R50 for afternoon/evening shows.
✳ Featured image – The Battered Housewives Club by Zubayr Charles on at the 2026 Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival. This photo.-March 17, Baxter Studio Theatre. Pic: Robyn Cohen/TheCapeRobyn.
