Just the ticket

ART  

 Spier Light Art 2024

Spier’s annual Light Art is back with a month of interactive and experimental light, sound, and video artworks from local and international artists. You can pre-book a picnic, book a table at one of the eateries on the wine estate, or do a wine tasting.

Dates: 1 March to 1 April, 6.30pm-9pm

Venue: Spier Wine Farm, R310, Stellenbosch

Tickets: Free entry  spier.co.za

Don’t miss:

• Bruce Backhouse’s visual narrative following the journey of the Freedom Trail on 2 March at Gallery 2 in Joburg
• Ravelle Pillay’s “The Weight of a Nail” at Goodman Gallery, Cape Town, until 23 March
• Lionel Smith’s “Irreversible” show at Everard Read London from 1-27 March
• Chris Soal’s “Surface Tension” exhibition at Whatiftheworld Gallery in Cape Town until 9 March

Theatre

The Cry of Winnie Mandela

Based on the novel by Njabulo S Ndebele as adapted by Alex Burger and directed by MoMo Matsunyane, the play centres on the stories of four women who reflect on a period of waiting, in the absence of their men. Between intense emotional moments and cleverly injected humour, the dynamic theatrical adaptation weaves together their private accounts, exposing the shadows, isolation, and complexities of their evocative experiences.

Dates: 30 March – 21 April

Venue: Market Theatre, Newtown

Tickets: R100-R200 webtickets.co.za

Île

Sophie Joans’s delightful solo show Île, which won the Gold Standard Bank Ovation Award in 2022, is showing in Joburg this month. The coming-of-age tale unfolds as an 18-year-old embarks on a trip to her ancestral home, the island of Mauritius. The captivating journey explores family, dark histories, and the comedic chaos that arises when people linger in one place for too long.

Dates: 26 March - 6 April

Venue: Theatre on the Square, Sandton computicket.com

Festival

Time of the Writer

This year’s 27th edition of the Time of the Writer festival, held by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, explores how writers and literature share and strengthen the values of South Africa as a constitutional democracy. Celebrated author Zakes Mda headlines the festival, which will have book launches, panel discussions, workshops, and readings by, among others, Justice Malala, Siphiwo Mahala, Angela Makholwa, Barbara Boswell, Qaanita Hunter, Nokuthula Mazibuko-Msimang, Megan Choritz, Shubnum Khan, Steven Friedman, and Jonny Steinberg.

Dates: 14 - 21 March 

Venue: Alliance Française in Morningside, Durban & online tow.ukzn.ac.za

Music

Handel’ s Messiah

On Good Friday, Handel’s magnificent Messiah is performed by the Symphony Choir of Johannesburg and the Phoenix Orchestra under the baton of maestro Richard Cock.

Date : 29 March

Venue: Linder Auditorium, Joburg

Tickets: From R195  quicket.co.za

Spring Awakening

The popular rock musical, directed by Sylvaine Strike and performed by the Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy, returns to the Theatre on the Bay this month. The critically acclaimed production, loosely set in Germany in 1895, has consistently pushed boundaries and remains as relevant as ever in its portrayal of students rebelling against restrictive societal norms.

Dates: From 8 March

Venue: Theatre on the Bay, Camps Ba y

Tickets: R250-R350 webtickets.co.za