| What: Actress – written by Talia Kodesh and Bruce Dennill Performed by: Talia Kodesh and Stephen van Niekerk as Random Props Guy When: April 8-12, 2026 Where: The Drama Factory, 10 Comprop Sq, Henry Vos Close, Asla Business Park, Strand, Western Cape Bookings: www.thedramafactory.co.za Booking link: www.thedramafactory.co.za/whatson#8April26 Direction: Daniel Geddes Set and costume design: Sarah Roberts Lighting design: Denis Hutchinson Parking: Secure parking is available at the venue – driver’s license required |
Talia Kodesh won the 2024 the Naledi Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Musical, for Actress and now it is our chance to see this acclaimed production. It premieres in Cape Town, April 8-12, 2026 at the Drama Factory. Actresss also won a Broadway World South Africa Award for Best New Musical. Direction is by Daniel Geddes and design by Sarah Roberts (set and costume) and Denis Hutchinson (lighting) and script is by Kodesh and Bruce Denhill. Kodesh performs with Stephen van Niekerk as Random Props Guy – taking on multiple roles. Read on for more. Info as supplied:
Naledi Theatre Award-winning musical Actress has Western Cape premiere at The Drama Factory
Western Cape audiences are in for a treat with the local premiere of multiple award-winning musical Actress.
Actress is a tale that anyone who has ever had to adjust to new expectations in life – their own or someone else’s – will relate to. With eight original, fabulous show tunes, it’s time to pack your dancing shoes, Theraband, passport and tissues and head to The Drama Factory.
Actress will be presented from April 8-12, 2026 only. Don’t miss out – book now at
www.thedramafactory.co.za/whatson#8April26
Performed by Talia Kodesh, who co-wrote this fresh musical dramady with Bruce Dennill, composer of the unique, powerful and punchy songs, Actress won the Naledi Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Musical as well as a Broadway World South Africa Award for Best New Musical. The creative dream team, including Sarah Roberts (set and costume design) and Denis Hutchinson (lighting design), also has multiple Naledi, Fleur Du Cap and Vita Awards between them.
The production is directed by Daniel Geddes and features the intriguing, reserved but pivotal role of Random Props Guy, performed by Stephen van Niekerk.
Actress is a funny, moving story of a woman trying to define and succeed in the different parts she plays (actress, wife, mother, daughter, teacher) while juggling the demands of all of those roles.
It charts a journey through stress and success, anger and auditions, triumph and tears, dance and delirium and, perhaps, the possibility of peace.
“Actors are fundamentally storytellers. I’ve simply loved doing just that throughout my career. How exhilarating it has been for me to star in a production that I have also created, and to sing Bruce’s original songs has been an extremely special experience for me– a long-held dream come true. I cannot wait for a whole new audience to meet Actress – I’m certain they will relate to her!” says Talia.
“Bruce’s incredible original songs range from quiet, thoughtful, introspective musings to big, ballsy, belted showstoppers. As with the story, we wanted the music to help define and give colour to the many moods and spaces in the show,” she adds.
“We can all relate to the challenge, mayhem, drama and comedy that juggling multiple roles can bring, especially when things don’t go as we expect them to,” says Sue Diepeveen, founder of The Drama Factory. “We are delighted to be hosting the Cape premiere of this brilliant production.”
Talia has performed in productions such as Beauty and the Beast (for which she received a Naledi Nomination), RENT and We Will Rock You, among numerous others. Bruce is an award-winning arts writer who is also a singer-songwriter, performing with Johannesburg-based bands Forrest and Phringe, Memo and The Van Dyke Parks Board and as a solo artist. His music is regularly included on radio playlists as well as soundtracks of TV shows including Isidingo, Going Nowhere Slowly and Sober Companion.
Comments about Actress include:
“The 10-out-of-10-ness of this show is about all the different elements of it coming together. Perfectly.” – Robyn Sassen, robynsassenmyview.com
“This is a masterpiece of theatre… You will cry, you will laugh and your soul will be forever changed.”
– Carly Graeme
“It’s a production that lingers in your thoughts long after the final curtain falls.” -thesomethingguy.co.za
Actress will be performed at The Drama Factory on:
April 8 at 17h00
April 9, 10, 11 at 19h30
April 11 and 12 at 15h00
April 12 at 18h00
Tickets cost R220 / R190
Bookings can be made at www.thedramafactory.co.za/whatson#8April26
With its fully licensed bar and cosy, welcoming atmosphere, The Drama Factory is the perfect venue to enjoy top-quality entertainment with a group of friends or family. The solar-powered invertor ensures the show will always go on, even when there is load-shedding!
Make a staycation of a visit to The Drama Factory, booking in with one of their wonderful accommodation partners. Spend the night at The Views Guesthouse, 185 on Beach or Majorca House to enjoy the beauty and many other activities on offer in the surrounding Helderberg region. Visit the website for further details.
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TALIA KODESH – Writer / Actress
Talia Kodesh is a Performing Arts Practitioner with 23 years of professional experience. She Matriculated from King David Linksfield and went on to study at TUT in Pretoria (Diploma Musical Theatre).
Her Musical Theatre stage credits include: Charlotte’s Web (Charlotte- Naledi Award: Best Children’s Production), The Sound of Music (Louisa von Trapp), Pieter Toerien’s International Touring Production of Cats (Jemima), We Will Rock You (South Africa- Ozzie Osborn; understudy Scaramouche and New Zealand- Scaramouche), Rent (Mimi Marquez), Chicago (Liz; understudy Roxie), Beauty and The Beast (Belle- Naledi Award Nomination: Best Actress in a Musical), Touring Production of Disney’s High School Musical (Gabriella Montez), The Last 5 Years (Cathy; Co-Producer).
During this time, she never gave up on her first love… Dance!
She has remained an active teacher, choreographer, and performance coach, and specializes in professional dance training and consulting. She is proud to be a part of the South African Performing Arts Industry.
During her time living in New York her head flooded with ideas for a one-woman show. On a fateful morning a decade later, over a casual coffee, a friend and colleague, Bruce Dennill, helped bring these ideas to life in Actress!
BRUCE DENNILL – Original Music, Musical Direction
Bruce Dennill is an award-winning arts writer who has worked across aspects of all of South Africa’s artistic and media industries since the late Nineties. See his online arts magazine pARTicipate (www.brucedennill.co.za) for coverage of the arts in Johannesburg, South Africa and beyond.
He is also a singer-songwriter, performing with Johannesburg-based bands Forrest and Phringe, as a member of duos Memo and The Van Dyke Parks Board and as a solo artist.
His music is regularly included on radio playlists as well as soundtracks of TV shows including Isidingo, Going Nowhere Slowly and Sober Companion.
Bringing the story of Actress and its songs to the stage is a dream realised.
STEPHEN VAN NIEKERK – Random Props Guy
Stephen van Niekerk (born October 20, 1977) is a proudly South African actor who has spent most of his adult life enthusiastically becoming other people for a living — and loving every minute of it. After earning his Diploma in Drama and Theatre Arts at Pretoria Technikon he stepped into the spotlight and hasn’t looked back.
Stephen’s career has taken him across stages, sets, and screens. On film, he has appeared in Lost Boys: The Thirst, Blood of Beasts, and Berserker, proving he’s equally comfortable with vampires, warriors, and everything in between. Television audiences may recognise him from popular South African series such as Isidingo, Home Affairs, and Snitch, where he brought his trademark intensity and versatility to the small screen.
A true theatre soul at heart, Stephen has tackled classics like Macbeth, burst into song in HAIR, and the touring company of We Will Rock You, and embraced bold contemporary works such as Love, Valour and Compassion. Whether wielding a sword, delivering Shakespeare, or navigating modern drama, he approaches every role with dedication, humour, and just enough mischief to keep things interesting. When not on stage or set, Stephen continues to celebrate the magic of storytelling — because at the end of the day, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of a live audience and a well-timed entrance.
DANIEL BUTCHER-GEDDES – Director
Daniel is a performer, director, musician, and composer. His on-stage credits include Avenue Q, Snow White, My Favourite Things, Here’s to You, Elton: The Experience, Key Change, Beauty and the Beast, and Cruise, for which he won a Naledi Theatre Award and received a Fleur du Cap nomination. His most recent stage appearance was in Janice Honeyman’s Beauty and the Beast Pantomime as Papa Melodio.
He has composed the music for the dance productions – Burn, Gaslands, Rapture, and Inwele. He was associate musical director for VRT’s Forever Plaid, and assistant musical director for Here’s to You, Mamma Mia! the pantomimes Cinderella, Peter Pan, and Pinocchio. In 2023, he created Wanda: The Musical and scored the documentary Call of the Wild. For Howard Events, he most recently directed Jonathan Roxmouth’s Swingle Bells and Swingin’ Las Vegas.
Daniel served as Artistic Director for National Children’s Theatre in 2020/21. His directing credits include Charlotte’s Web, Mr Hare Meets Mr Mandela, the Naledi Award-winning Fantastic Mr Fox, Peter and the Wolf, Actress, and The Jungle Book.
In 2020 Daniel released an original piano album, In Pencil.
THE DRAMA FACTORY
Established in 2017, The Drama Factory has become renowned as a prime destination for patrons to enjoy quality entertainment across a range of genres in a relaxed and welcoming environment. As well as showcasing mainstream productions, The Drama Factory offers creatives a venue to workshop performances, providing an affordable space for artists to bring their creative ideas to life.
The Drama Factory hosts a number of training initiatives, including a theatre lighting training programme. Through its relationship with organisations such as the Anna Foundation and Masikhule, The Drama Factory enables opportunities for young theatre goers to attend performances and workshops, assisting to build audiences and artists for tomorrow.
Committed to providing a platform to nurture original South African theatre productions, The Drama Factory also co-produces new work, such as the What Did The Fox Say? series, which was sponsored by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.
✳ Featured image: Talia Kodesh in Actress. Photo: Lauge Sorensen. Sponsored content. Images supplied.
