Where Memory Bleeds and Truth Speaks Loud: A Review of Letters From Tomorrow By Thami akaMbongo Manzana Sibusiso Khwinana Theatre  The South African State Theatre  30th April to 10 May Written & Directed by Mbasa Tsesana Lunga Khuhlane as Mkhonto  Anele Matoti as Gqozo Ter Hollmann as Van Schroer Dramaturge by Allen Cebekhulu Stage Manager by  Thandokazi Nasiphi Mahlati  There are productions that entertain. There are productions that educate. And then there are productions like LETTERS FROM TOMORROW — theatre that confronts you, unsettles you, and refuses to let you leave unchanged. Currently staged at the South African State Theatre in the intimate Sibusiso Khwinana Theatre space, this work by the unapologetically bold playwright and director Mbasa Tsesana is a necessary eruption of truth in a time where silence has become far too comfortable. From the moment you enter the auditorium, the tone is set. The haunting sounds of Simphiwe Dana’s Umkhonto ...

  Gisbson Kente Lecture Review By Thami akaMbongo Manzana Soweto Theatre – 28 February 2025 Let us begin with the truth. The venue was not sold out , despite what was claimed on Soweto Theatre’s social media platforms. Optics matter. Integrity matters more. The event was scheduled for 3pm. It started an hour later. Some might argue that it was because of the Soweto Derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium. But if that was the case, then it exposes a deeper problem — a miscalculation in programming . Unless we were meant to miss the irony of hosting a lecture about the Father of Township Theatre at the same time as one of the biggest township sporting spectacles in the country. Programming is political. Timing is intentional. The Questions That Went Unanswered In the build-up to the lecture, there was visible discomfort within the artistic community regarding the selection of Mbuyiseni Ndlozi as Guest Speaker. When a photograph of Dr Ndlozi alongside James Ngco...

  BEDROOM CHATS – REVIEW Written & Directed by Mashupe Phala 27 February 2026 | TX Theatre, Tembisa 10th Tembisa Theatre Week Review by Thami akaMbongo Manzana               Image  Source: Mandisi Sindo Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch Bedroom Chats as part of the 10th Tembisa Theatre Week at TX Theatre. The title alone immediately makes one curious — what exactly happens in these “bedroom chats”? This production has applied to be part of this year’s National Arts Festival. Without a doubt, it has the potential to become one of the favourites at the festival. The story is universal. Anyone — young or old, married or single — can relate to it. As I watched, I kept asking myself: What makes a great theatre production? Is it the script, the performance, the directing, or the design? In reflecting on Bedroom Chats , I will look at these four elements.                Image  Source: Mandisi...