Story investigates lasting effects of Apartheid spatial planning

Playwright-director Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni’s new play, Neighbourhood, will have its world premiere at the Baxter Studio from Friday August 2 to Saturday August 24, at 8pm with Saturday matinees at 2.30pm.

The story investigates the lingering effects of spatial Apartheid in the ongoing fight for land justice and affordable housing in urban areas.

Performed in English, Sepedi, isiZulu, isiXhosa and Afrikaans, the multilingual story is written and directed by Mashifane wa Noni, recent winner of the Fleur du Cap Best New South African Script award.

It features a cast composed of members of the Baxter's Fires Burning company, Awethu Hleli, Carlo Daniels, Lyle October, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe and Tamzin Williams (all seen in Othello and of Loss – handle with care), with Carla Smith (Othello, Terminaal 3) and Jock Kleynhans (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Dumb Waiter), rounding off the ensemble.

Set in contemporary South Africa, the play follows the relationship between two fictional neighbourhoods, Lindela, an informal settlement that sees many of its community members travel to and from Everwood, an upper middle-class suburb, for better work and education opportunities. After multiple cries for affordable housing within the neighbourhood they seek their livelihoods from, the Lindela community members take matters into their own hands and move into Everwood, to become neighbours to those they serve.

The development of the play began in early 2023 when Baxter Theatre CEO and artistic director, Lara Foot, in conversation with Ndifuna Ukwazi, a land and housing activist organisation, challenged and supported Mashifane wa Noni to go out and creatively investigate the South African housing crisis through a research-based play.

With Ndifuna Ukwazi acting as a research base, she embarked on an over year-long research and playwriting process of interviewing various South Africans who are involved in the housing crisis ecosystem while also gathering inspiration from various traditional media and social media sources to produce a fictional stage production based on her findings.

The creative team is made up of Patrick Curtis (set design), Michaeline Wessels (costume design), Jannous Aukema (sound design) and Andi Colombo (lighting design).

Tickets cost from R150 to R190 through Webtickets or at Pick n Pay stores.