Zubayr Charles’ poignant and rousing play Brasse, Tot Laat Toe is on in the Baxter Masambe, August 7-15, 2026. This is its first “official” run, after its acclaimed debut at the 2026 Suidoosterfees. The two hander stars Anzio September and Abdullatief Davids and is directed by Carlo Daniels. Daniels, September and Davids give insights into the play – the creative process – from page to stage:

Carlo Daniels:

TheCapeRobyn: What interested you about this play – set in a particular milieu now – in Cape Town? You say: “The play is also a slice of Muslim culture and Cape Town culture that we don’t often see represented on stage.” Please expand on that?


Carlo Daniels: This play has a very specific tone. One can also hear with clarity that the writer is someone who grew up with Islam and in Cape Town. I really love that about the play. It has a very specific setting and tone and I wanted to lean more into that and at the same time learn more about such households (as we have in our play) and how culturally things are dealt with. So it is an attempt to bring the Afrikaaps language to stage and a closer look at the people who speak the language.

TCR: Did both you and Zubayr work on taking the play from page to stage?  And specifically – how did the ideas around magical realism come about? 

CD: The play deals with quite complex themes such as loss, grieving, friendship, death, inheritance etc. And yes it jumps to the past and present, so for me, as a director, it was about how do we find a way to follow the events in the life of the characters and through playing on the floor exploring the creative possibilities. We managed to find a way that is interesting to us and not linear but clear. Then, there is another element to it that is more sensitive such as the rituals and prayers and the respect we would like to show: these are things bigger than us as artists and we recognise there is a strong spiritual element that comes with it. Zubayr is the writer of the play in total. I directed and he was always open for me to change the structure where I feel it’s needed and move things around.

TCR: Insights into the process?

CD: I like to start my process with movement first before we work on dialogue. I know sometimes actors don’t expect it and only understand after day one or week one: this is how the story will be told and we will not only be “talking” I am interested in the meaning, the story, acting, movement, sound, silence, all in all to find the best way to tell the story using what tools we have. In this case we didn’t have a big budget but we had our bodies for starters, a space and a script.

TCR: Can you talk about language and how physical theatre is used in this production to convey meaning, when chunks are lost in translation, for people not familiar with Afrikaaps argot?

AD: I find sometimes there are things that words cannot explain, feelings, thoughts, dreams etc. My best way of expressing myself is to move. To trust one’s movement,  that does come with hard work but it’s something I really value and I feel that is something that can bring healing and a feeling of freedom. I would love for the actors to attempt with me to bring this to our work and in this way have communication with our audience, beyond words. To captivate the audience, to make them search for meaning in the movement and to trust their own findings.

TCR: How did this directing gig come about?

AD: I met Zubayr when I was mentoring participants of the Zabalaza Festival and he was one writer-directors I mentored, and so I was familiar with his writing style. He was always open to try different things and ways, just to explore to find the best result, so that is something I always like in terms of collaborating cause often when I work there is a lot of exploration. So now it’s about two years after that Zabalaza Festival that he contacted me to ask if I would be interested in directing this play and I like working with young people, writers, actors etc. Sometimes it’s a workshop, or teaching, mentoring, that kind of stuff. I had a gap for it so I jumped onboard.

TCR: Thoughts about your transition from acting back into directing? You have a Fleur du Cap Award for directing but your focus for the past two years has been as an actor in the Baxter’s Fire Burning Company.

CD: I love directing, I know I am first a performer but above all a theatre-maker. So I always act, sometimes write, sometimes direct and I am really passionate about them all. For me it all boils down to making theatre, so it is a big shift to jump from acting to directing. there are huge responsibilities as a director: different rhythms, different ways of expression and also working with lots of people and making sure that things are in order. So, sometimes it brings more restless nights then performing itself, but I love it all and nothing is really easier than the other it’s all hard work and if it comes together its most rewarding.

TCR: Can you talk about the framing used in this production – the frames hanging in the space and the use of framing – in terms of using the wall by Junaid (Anzio September) literally grounding himself along the wall and for the most part staying off stage?

CD: The frames come out of the fact that the play is set in the family house. Luqmaan now being alone in the house that was once filled with his loved ones and now it kind of all feels empty physically but still filled with the memories of what was.  And so in trying to create a world that can capture that I felt the frames might be a way of achieving that. The use of frames was also on a practical level something we could find and won’t cost lots of money. I really wanted to use the space (Masambe Theatre) and Junaid (played by Anzio) also has his own relationship with the house. It is the place he grew up in but also abandoned when he was old enough, he regrets that part and now that he is back in the house, clings to the walls and with his gaze, reaching into the frames.

TCR: It is a very interesting use of space in the Masambe – stripping out sidewalls and increasing stage size? Comment

CD: I like to explore the spaces I work in. Each space has a gift and the Masambe came with many. In our story there is a sense of emptiness at the same time a place full of reflection and a sense of grappling with the absurdities of life. I felt it appropriate to remove all curtains of the Masambe and see what is underneath it was not easy and I had to wait a day or two to get it done but, when the curtains was removed it felt right and empty enough and then we added more objects in the space and they were empty too: frames, empty cup and a muslah / salaah mat (prayer mat) 

TCR: How did the conceptualisation of the design come about?

CD: So landing on the design, the story itself will always guides one best and the more one thinks about the story there are such gems, I am not saying it is a great design or anything like that, I am sure someone who specialises in design will have some notes for me, but it felt like something in the right direction one is often pushed to make something that uses more creativity than money. I am grateful how the Baxter Theatre helped us. They opened props and costumes to us and we found our whole set basically in the props room and reused them.

Anzio September

TheCapeRobyn: Without giving too much away, can you talk about the character you play –  Junaid, the former best friend of Luqmaan, who returns to his friend’s home after his wife’s death? Insights into how you have delved into themes of friendship, masculinity, family, platonic love, growing older?

AS: The character Junaid is similar to who Anzio is in reality. The trials and tribulations that he faces in Brasse, Tot Laat Toe mimics tragic and beautiful moments in my life too.  The play reminds me that family, friendship and love is the core of humanity

TCR: Can you talk about performing in this play by Zubayr, with Carlo Daniels in the director’s seat and his (Carlo’s) approach which is rooted in physical theatre? It is your third play with Zubayr, but the first time in which he is not directing? Comments?

AS: Carlo and I have acted alongside one another in Colleen, The Musical, his character and mine are best-friends, so a lekker connection and relationship was established between Carlo and I. He is a true talent and has a strong attention to detail and nuance. This was the first physical theatre piece I’ve worked on. There were challenging moments, but Carlo allowed us to explore and play. I find it exciting to work with different directors and get to know their creative minds.

TCR: Can you talk about working with Carlo, taking this play from page to stage – powered by physical theatre? This is very different to the staging of Zubayr’s previous plays? It is not new territory for you. In terms of the body as a medium of expression, you have done extensive work in musical theatre which required you to dance and move, beyond text. I am thinking of Marc Lottering’s musicals and of Canal Walk Theatre’s Aladdin, where you took on the titular role as Aladdin. You have been nominated for theatre awards for your musical theatre work and for your work in Zubayr’s plays. You worked with Carlo in Marc Lottering’s Colleen: The Musical, so the two of you are not strangers. Must be exciting to work together again?

AS: It has been truly so lekker to work with Carlo. Being my first physical theatre piece, it was really exciting to use movement that’s not dance related to express a moment or a story, I’ve gained some strong tools to use. Carlo’s vision for the show is seen throughout his interpretation of magical realism, which was so exciting as an actor to play with. Zubayr’s work requires pure realism and reflects “a slice of life” on stage. Carlo and Zubayr’s vision collides beautifully for Brasse, Tot Laat Toe.

TCR: It must be exciting to have the opportunity to work on a drama which is in Afrikaaps – which is being staged with physical theatre? It gives you the opportunity to use your vast theatric vocabulary?

AS: More Afrikaaps stories are needed on the stage and on TV too! There are so many different cultural traditions in the brown community that aren’t shown. Zubayr is a force to be reckoned with! He is switching up the narrative by writing and bringing more brown stories to the stage and Afrikaaps is just the beginning. I grew up hearing the Afrikaaps dialect in and around family. Such an expressive language and even better to play with!

TCR: Tell us about working with Abdullatief Davids, a newcomer to Zubayr’s plays? It is a two-hander, which requires heavy lifting in terms of its intense subject matter. That takes an intimacy and trust. Have you worked with Abdullatief before?

AS: Abdullatief is such a wonderful person and kind hearted. We’ve also established a lekker connection and relationship. Abdullatief is a lovely talent and I’m so glad he gets to be seen. We work well together because we support, trust and care for one another tackling these heavy themes in Brasse, Tot Laat Toe

Abdullatief Davids:

TheCapeRobyn: What inspired you to pursue acting? Can you tell us about your background in dancing, singing in the Malay Choir and facilitating and directing and how that led to your career as an actor? How did you get involved in this play?

Abdullatief Davids: From a young age, I was inspired by performances in musical theatre, especially by Jody Abrahams and Luqmaan Adams in ‘District Six.’ I participated in school productions like ‘Oliver Twist’, as a dancer and my first lead role was in a dance and drama ‘Raw-Silk’ at Wynberg High, which marked my professional stage debut at Artscape Theatre. My involvement with the Malay Choir where i sang for ‘Young Roses’ further nurtured my passion for the performing arts. I graduated from UCT Drama School, directed for the Shakespeare Schools Festival, and facilitated drama for the City of Cape Town, in a program called ‘Arts Aweh’ in Mitchell’s Plain. My journey was shaped by diverse experiences, collaborations, and a deep love for storytelling, which ultimately led to my casting as Luqmaan through Zubayr.

TCR: How did you approach the role of Luqmaan, the main character of Brasse, Tot Laat Toe? He is dealing with a lot: The death of his wife; the unexpected visit from his former best friend, Junaid. He is living in a home all alone. Your thoughts?

AD: I have approached Luqmaan with empathy, aiming to stay true to the script while understanding that the character’s experiences of loss, grief, and emotional turmoil are complex. Drawing from my own values and life experiences, I reflected on my relationships, kindness, and friendship-building. Although I share some aspects of faith and family with Luqmaan, I focused on portraying the character’s deep sense of longing, mourning, and unresolved emotional struggles. Using emotional memory, I immersed myself in Luqmaan’s world, especially his feelings of emptiness and heartbreak, to deliver an authentic performance.

TCR: Can you give us your take on this play, which is not a stereotypical Coloured story.  – in relation to your own background, rooted in Coloured and Malay cultural life?

AD: While ‘Brasse, Tot Laat Toe’ is not based on a true story, its themes are universal – family disputes, loss, inheritance issues, and emotional conflicts after death. I emphasize that these issues cut across race and religion and are relatable for many, especially in contexts where family disagreements over assets and the absence of a will can cause tension. The play highlights relatable, real-life struggles faced by many families, making it relevant beyond specific cultural boundaries.

TCR: Insights into working with Zubayr Charles, Anzio September and Carlo Daniels?

AD: I consider it an honour to work with talented and dedicated creatives like Zubayr, Carlo, and Anzio. Their professionalism and strong work ethic have made the process inspiring. Having previously collaborated with Zubayr on The Battered Housewives’ Club. I appreciate the opportunity to learn from such experienced individuals, noting that their collective energy and commitment elevate the production and my own growth as an actor.

TCR: Can you reflect on themes of friendship, masculinity, family, platonic love and growing older in relation to your own community and family? Where did you grow up? Please tell us a bit about yourself.


AD: I was born and raised in Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain.  I am the youngest sibling. I have  three sisters and one brother. My strong family ties and community upbringing have instilled in me a deep appreciation for family, loyalty, and support. My friendships, many formed in primary school, have endured through the years. Coming from an underprivileged community, I am constantly reminded of the hustle, struggles, and resilience of ordinary people, especially after the loss of a family member or friend. These experiences foster humility, gratitude, and a desire to give back, shaping my outlook on life, community, and the importance of maintaining strong bonds.

 

✳ Carlo Daniels directing Anzio September and Abdullatief Davids, in rehearsal of Zubayr Charles play, Brasse, Tot Laat Toe, August 7-15, 2026, Baxter Masambe Theatre, Cape Town. Photo: Brick Mbekwa. Supplied.