Radical joy takes centre stage: Inside the Market Theatre’s landmark Queer Festival
“This however it will be the first time when the institution has staged a whole festival dedicated to queer lives. We hope that it will attract enough interest, not only from the LGPQ+ community, but from the broad theatre audience. This is an experiment to see if it works, and if it gets enough support, who knows, it may well be an annual event. One hopes that after staging this festival, we will get a sponsor, a corporate funder going forward,”Homann said.
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
The Market’s history of bravery in putting up shows that contributed to the fight for freedom, challenge conventions and being at the forefront of raising issues of social justice and racial equity is well documented.
The Newtown based institution managed to braze such a brave trail during some of the most difficulty periods in South African history, ever since the institution was founded in 1976, by two theatre visionaries, Barney Simon and Mannie Manim.
The country is now a democracy, and some of the freedoms have been that the institutions fought for among other political players, have now been attained. For example, the right to vote by citizens, a new constitution globally hailed as one of the best in the world is in place, and legally enforceable rights have been extended to minorities, such as the LGPQ+ community.
However, South Africa is far from being an equal country, and still has to navigate around difficult conversations, such as the scourge of Gender Based violence, sexism, homophobia, rising xenophobic sentiments, poverty and closing the huge gap that exists between the rich and the poor.
An example of an issue which is currently occupying the public imagination as it is haunting the nation, is the current wave of killings of women in the East Rand, most of whom are dumped in bushes and rivers, half-naked and bruised. Dead bodies. At the time of publishing, eight bodies had been discovered on the East Rand, and the body count will probably keep on climbing as authorities comb the area looking for the criminals or a criminal involved in these senseless killing sprees.
It is against this backdrop that the Market Theatre again is leading in tackling issues that raise serious conversations that would at the best of times, be cast aside as footnotes of other national conversations.
The Theatre, marking its 50th anniversary, next month, October, is launching an inaugural Queer Festival, which will not only celebrate the advancement in the rights of the LGPQ+ community in South Africa, but also remind the nation that more still needs to be done to embrace cultural differences, protecting the rights of minorities, including the rights of the LGPQ+ community in the country.
“Yes, the country has advanced a lot in embracing the LGPQ+ community, but we cannot be complacent about protecting minority communities, especially at this juncture in history as around the world, conservative forces are reversing the gains. In the case of South Africa, strides have indeed been made in embracing the queer community. However, there are still risks posed to the LGPQ+ community in some sections of South African society.
“For example, attacks on those who identify as lesbians, still happens in some communities, particularly the issue of the so called corrective rape. Lesbians in some sections of society, still face the so called corrective rape risks,” said Greg Homann in an interview ahead and in the light of the forthcoming Queer Festival.
Homann is the Artistic Director of the Market Theatre, and he himself is living openly as a gay man. He has done research on the lives of Queer communities in both South Africa and in the UK, prior to landing the influential position of Artistic Director at this historic cultural institution. The interview he carried out with 15 gay men in Birmingham gave him a deep insight into the issues affecting that community, he shared during the interview.
This festival, will be the first festival staged at the institution focussing on the life of the queer community. However, the Market Theatre during the 50 years of its existence, has in fact, staged shows with queer themes.
“This however it will be the first time when the institution has staged a whole festival dedicated to queer lives. We hope that it will attract enough interest, not only from the LGPQ+ community, but from the broad theatre audience. This is an experiment to see if it works, and if it gets enough support, who knows, it may well be an annual event. One hopes that after staging this festival, we will get a sponsor, a corporate funder going forward,”Homann said.
While this is a festival that will inevitably spark conversations in the LGPQ community and the borad theatre community, and hopefully across various arts communities in the country, the Market Theatre, however, has always been the stage where South Africa confronts itself. It was here, in 1981, that Pieter-Dirk Uys first brought Evita Bezuidenhout to life—when drag itself was still outlawed. It was here that Koleka Putuma’s No Easter Sunday for Queers placed queer love at the centre of a nation’s reckoning. And it is here, in October 2026, that the Market Theatre Foundation opens an electrifying new chapter: the inaugural Market Theatre Queer Festival.
From 21 to 25 October, Johannesburg will become the epicenter of a celebration that is as daring as it is defiant. This isn’t just a festival; it’s a statement. A declaration that queer art is not a niche—it is the vanguard of creative and social evolution, the team behind this festival believes.
The Art of Resistance:
The programme is a masterclass in audacity. At its heart is the brand-new LGBTQ+ cabaret, BUM STUFF, a work that takes its title from a phrase historically used to diminish and instead transforms it into an anthem of unapologetic joy. This is theatre that doesn’t just push boundaries—it redraws them.
Audiences will encounter THE BREAST OF TIRESIAS, an intimate portrait of a trans-man’s transition, and SHOCKWAVE, a new play with music by the acclaimed Chantal Stanfield.
The festival also shines a spotlight on Thamsanqa Tshabalala, the 2026 Barney Simon Residency recipient, whose dance-based work, IT’S A LONG STORY, promises to be a visceral exploration of identity.
Curating the Future:
Jason Wheeler and Maralin van Reenen have curated a series of fresh, provocative LGBTQ+ writing, featuring both emerging and established voices. This is a deliberate investment in the future of queer storytelling—a commitment to ensuring that these narratives continue to be told, challenged, and celebrated.
Why this festival is happening
This festival arrives at a moment when the hard-won freedoms of the past are being tested. It is a reminder that progress is not linear, and that the Market Theatre remains a crucible of resistance. “Refusing to be silent” is not a campaign slogan; it is a mandate. The festival positions itself at the intersection of memory and the future.
“The Market Theatre Queer Festival is more than a collection of performances, according to the producers behind it, a gathering of a community. A space for radical joy. And a testament to the enduring power of art to challenge, heal, and unite. Joburg, are you ready to listen?
If you care about the soul of Johannesburg, you need to pay attention to this festival. It matters. It matters because it refuses to let us forget the battles fought by icons like Pieter-Dirk Uys. And it matters because it gives a stage to the next generation who are redefining what resistance looks like. It’s a bold new chapter for the Market Theatre Foundation and for the city of Joburg. It is a call to arms wrapped in a celebration. And it is not to be missed.”
Insights into what is waiting for theatre goers
This year’s Pride Month is set to be a theatrically rich, exhilarating affair as The Market
Theatre presents its first ever Queer Festival, running from 21 to 25 October 2026. This new initiative aims to bring together a mix of nine performances across cabaret, drama, live concert, dance and new writing.
“With this inaugural iteration, we enter a bold new chapter, promising a vibrant celebration of identity, resistance and radical joy. The Market Theatre has always thrived on being home to the South African story across all backgrounds and experiences. With this festival, we once again make a statement of safe belonging and free expression,” says Homann.
Evita on stage
In a thrilling return, the iconic Pieter-Dirk Uys presents his equally legendary alter-ego, Evita
Bezuidenhout, for a powerful performance of “Evita @ 91”. This work, staged 35 years since the conception of Evita in 1981 at The Market Theatre – when even drag was outlawed – reminds us how far we’ve come, and still have to go.
Across the decades, Evita became not just a persona but a vehicle for social change, satire and expression at some of our most difficult periods as a country. As we meet Evita again, audiences can expect a bare-knuckle exploration of contemporary issues, delivered in entertaining, witty and deeply moving ways.
Shockwave
In addition to Evita’s seminal comeback, Chantal Stanfield’s Shockwave will electrify the programme with its sharp and compelling drama. Directed by David Dennis, this brand new play is set concurrent with P.W Botha’s State of Emergency that gripped the country in the 1980s and intensified resistance against the apartheid regime.
The spectre of a new ‘Gay plague’ looms large while homosexuality is illegal and stigmatised. As it unfolds, the script lures audiences into the life of “Larry”, who is forced to confront questions of sexuality, faith and belonging in a world trapped by increasing fear and deepening prejudice.
Transman
Grounded in the lived experience of being a transman, The Breasts of Tiresias is a provocative new work that draws deeply on the life of Angelo de Klerk, who co-wrote the play with former Market Theatre Artistic Director Malcolm Purkey. Rooted in truth and identity, the production offers an intimate and compelling exploration of gender and transformation against the backdrop of heritage and social conformity.
Making his highly anticipated return to The Market Theatre as director during its 50th birth year, Purkey brings his considerable theatrical experience to The Breasts of Tiresias. The production stars Gerard Bester and Sandi Dlangalala, with music created by Carlo Mombelli and additional material by Renos Spanoudes.
Cheeky Cabaret
Bum Stuff: A Cheeky Cabaret is a smart, funny and surprisingly thoughtful new South
African cabaret commissioned by The Market Theatre that explores one of society’s last great taboos through music, comedy and storytelling. It centres around anal sex, exploring shame, pleasure, communication and the stories we inherit about our bodies. This production, written and directed by Bruce J Little, is strictly intended for adult audiences(18+).
Black queer body
Thamsanqa Tshabalala, the first dance-based recipient of the 2026 Barney Simon
Residency Project which is homed at The Market Theatre Laboratory annually, is excited to return with a once-off performance in the Barney Simon Theatre with their dance-based work, Girls of the Golden West. The performance is an act of self-revelation and refusal, reclaiming the Black queer body as an expressive, political force that rewrites visibility on its own terms rather than submitting to dominant narratives.
Championing unique township queer perspectives
Vuyelwa Maluleke’s The Blue Album, which showcased at The Market Theatre Kippies
Fringe and the National Arts Festival Fringe, champions unique township queer perspectives. With this piece, Maluleke fuses poetry, monologue, movement and choral voice to stage an intimate portrait of queer life and love in townships. For its run at Kippies Fringe last year, The Blue Album scooped the Outstanding Performance Award, and at the National Arts Festival this year it received the Silver Ovation Award.
Music
Highlighting music as a central form of expression and identity, the Queer Festival features aconcert titled Queer Joy performed by the Johannesburg Queer Chorus, who will be singing a repertoire that acknowledges Jo’burg’s queer community. Closing the festival will be a soon-to-be-revealed local artist whose work is prominent in the queer community, adding to the radical joyfulness of our space throughout the festival.
Writing
Alongside the broader offering of music, dance and drama is a curated series by Jason
Wheeler and Maralin van Reenen of fresh, provocative LGBTQ+ writings from emerging and established voices, entitled No Filter: A Showcase of Queer Writing.
The full programme of the Queer Fest at The Market is available on the Theatre’s website, with bookings already open for some events. Safe and affordable underground parking available at Newtown Junction.