The Market Theatre Laboratory

30/05/2026

Two nights. Four iconic stories. One stage.
The First-Year Market Theatre Lab students are ready to introduce themselves to the stage with a powerful lineup: Ruined, Have You Seen Zandile, Sizwe Banzi is Dead, and Blood Knot.
📆Tuesday 2nd June (17:00) & Wednesday 3rd June (16:45)
📍 The Ramolao Makhene Theatre (The Market Theatre Laboratory)
💵 Admission: Completely FREE!
Bring a friend, bring your energy, and let’s celebrate the next generation of South African theatre makers! See you there! 🙌🎭

30/05/2026

On the LAB NEWS 🕵🏽📰
We’ve been cooking up storms for you. 😉
From our 2025 alumni performing Afropocalypse in Sweden🇸🇪, the second years beginning their NAF production, The Children Of The Buffalo Thorn Tree🕯️, to the first years preparing for their Acting showcase🎬, we’ve been buzzing around the theatre space. 🎭

Stay tuned for weekly updates on our page! ✨

Let’s goooo… ke game!! 😝🔥

29/05/2026

Buhle Ngaba brings an award-winning show to South Africa, and she’s ready to sell out! 💎💎💎

Directed by Ilana Dlangalala-Cilliers, BLING! draws on the story of the Cullinan diamond, while the broader narrative
dances and dazzles its way through South Africa’s journey towards democracy, intertwining history, culture and the
pursuit of justice. ⚖️

BLING’s Johannesburg season runs from 28 to 31 May at The Market Theatre Laboratory! 📆

Tickets can be purchased on webtickets!! 🎫

23/05/2026

Second years have been cooking this whole week! 🔥🎭

From Monday to Wednesday they were performing their TYA plays, and yesterday they went head-to-head against each other in improv battles! 🎤🔥

Now today at 15:00, the 2nd Lab Rats will be playing against PopArt! 😭🔥

Please pull through because you really do not want to miss this one it’s the last showcase for now and it’s about to be a movie! 🎭✨

🎟️ Entrance: R30

Let’s gooo… ke game! 🔥🎭

22/05/2026

🛎️DING! DING! DING!!! 🗣️📣

🤼🏾‍♂️It’s the Market Theatre Laboratory’s Second Year’s up against POP Art’s Causing A Scene for some Improv Theatre sports games.

🤫Rumour has it - Causing A Scene will include Lab Alumni. Which side are you behind? Come see raw theatre improvisation🎭

🎟️ R30
🗓️ 23 May 2026
⌚ 15:00
📍 Ramolao Makhene Theatre, Market Theatre Square

vs

21/05/2026

💡Did you know? Afropocalypse heads to Sweden to perform at the Bibu Biennial Festival from 27 - 30 May. 🛫🇸🇪

It will be one of four international productions hand selected as part of their programme. 🎭The run closing this week at The Market Theatre has been a fundraising initiative, but just case you’re not able to support their run before it ends this Saturday, you can still help by scanning the QR codes to donate💰.

📨Send an email to [email protected] for more information

19/05/2026

16/05/2026

The Market Theatre Laboratory 2nd year students present “Nombulelo and the imbulu”. Walk with Nombulelo across Johannesburg as she meets a gang of dangerous creatures and defeats them. This is a story of courageous, family, Ubuntu and Identity. Told in the medium of the interesting Popeye Theatre.

📆 : 20th May 2026
🕰️: 16:00
📍: Ramolao Makhene Theatre, Market Theatre Laboratory.

Free entrance!

16/05/2026

The Market Theatre Laboratory 2nd year students present “The Bhatom Company” . An adaptation of Gcina Mhlophe’s Brave Ox Bhatom which focuses on the ideas of culture and the modern society where the themes of African storytelling are explored through the narrative of three young siblings and their grandmother.

📆: 19 May 2026
🕰️: 16:00
📍: Ramolao Makhene Theatre, Market Square Complex

Free entrance!

Be there, cause you don’t want to be told.✨🎭