Vuka Machel returns to the Ramolao Makhene Theatre at the Market Lab in January 2020, giving more people a chance to catch this storytelling masterpiece. The show is a revolutionary comedy told by two chicken thieves from Kanyamazane, just outside Nelspruit in Mpumalanga province.

Through the eyes of this infamous pair, the audience is taken on a journey in which Samora Machel wakes up from the dead to find his wife married to Nelson Mandela and Mozambique suffering. He challenges Mandela to all sorts of fights. The biggest mistake he makes is to agree to a negotiation at the World Trade Centre where Mandela challenges him to a boxing match. Mandela is notorious for winning all his fifty fights through negotiations.

Originally created in 1998, and the winner of an FNB Vita Award for Best Director in 2003, Vuka Machel was last performed as a one-off presentation as part of the Market Lab’s 30 year celebrations this year, where it received such an enthusiastic response that it was clear it needed a longer season.

Written and directed by Market Lab alumnus Mncedisi Shabangu, and performed by Mncedisi Shabangu and Xolile Gama, the play is a funny and insightful commentary on the lives and philosophies of two of Africa’s most influential leaders. Mncedisi, who is well-known for his role as Khulekani in Rhythm City, and prolific actor Xolile use their unique brand of storytelling and rare style of physical theatre to make this play an exceptional treat.

Production Information

Duration: 80 minutes
Age Recommendation: 12 years
Venue: The Ramolao Makhene Theatre
Times: Tuesday – Saturday @ 20:00 and Sunday @ 15:00
Ticket prices: Tuesday – Sunday R100.00 – R150.00
Student Prices: R70.00 – R90.00

For further information, eMail thozama@marketlab.co.za