New contemporary South African play Graduation of K-C to open season for Irish-South African Festival
“This festival explores the shared troubled histories of both countries through thematic exploration of common events that bind together the two countries. South Africa’s struggle of the past, was caused by issues of race, while that of Ireland, particularly Northern Ireland was caused by religion between Protestants and Catholics,” explained Homann in an interview.
By Edward Tsumele, Winner of NHC Heritage Journalism award for 2026
Main Pic: Julie-Anne, Ketsia, Lungi and Morna – Photo by Ngoma Ka Mphahlele
Pictures by Ngoma Ka Mphahlele
South Africa and Northern Ireland shared a troubled history of conflict, in the case of South Africa, a racially motivated conflict, and in the case of Ireland, a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics. However, both countries’ people in the past, fought for freedom and colonial oppression, identity and to self-define
That shared troubled history will this November be played out on the stages of the Market Theatre in Newtown, through two plays and an exhibition, all three focusing on themes that inextricably link the two countries together. The first play is inspired by events around #FeesmustFall, and the other on a true story involving prominent figures of the struggle the late Prof. Kader Asmal and retired Constitutional Court Judge Justice Albie Sacks.
Brace yourselfto enjoy a festival, that promises not only to remind you of the two countries’ shared history, but also how the past can be brought into the present through art.
Kicking of this festival is a play that is very much Irish as it is South African. Graduation of K-C, –is on at the Barney Simon Theatre from November 5, running till November 29, 2026. And this production, written Greg Homann, Artistic Director at the Market Theatre Foundation, co-directed by Campbell Meas and Homann, is multi-dimensional and multi-layered. It has characters that both South African and Irish audiences will identify with, because the plot involves characters from both countries.
I, this week, had an opportunity, not only to speak to both Homann and Meas about their journey of artistic collaboration as co-directors of Graduation of K-C, but was also given an insight of what is in store for audiences at the festival.
Both directors when I arrived at the theatre, I found them busy, wrapping up the rehearsal of Graduation of K-C,preparing the play for a number of previews, starting on Thursday, 5 November, 2026, before the play holds its world premiere on Sunday, November 8, 2026.
While I was waiting for the two directors to wrap up the rehearsal, I had an opportunity of embarking on a one-man tour of the exhibition, comprising of newspaper articles, photographs of Anti-Apartheid protests by activists in Ireland as well as historical papers, which position the struggle for freedom in South Africa, parallel to the Irish struggle.
My attention was particularly drawn to a number of events, all poignantly captured in this exhibition titled Together/Apart, which situate the struggle for freedom for Irish people next to that of the struggle for freedom by political activists in South Africa during the struggle years.
Though these struggles happened in different geographies, and were caused by different reasons, the similarities are so striking that it is not easy to miss that as a member of the audience touring this exhibition.
For example, when in 1964, 11young Irish workers at Dunnes stores refused to handle goods from South Africa, protesting against Apartheid, that protest morphed into a three year protest, and became a simple for solidarity with the liberation struggle.
Ireland in 1988, gave then imprisoned Nelson Mandela, the Freedom of Dublin at a time when he was still in prison during the time when the country was highly polarised, with the State of Emergency having been declared. When NMandela was released from prison in 1990, a few months later, he travelled to Ireland, where he thanked the Irish for their support for the struggle for freedom in South Africa.
The speech that he made there on that occasion, forms part of the historical papers on exhibit as part of this festival.
“We are currently waiting for the original speech, which is on its way.
This festival explores the shared troubled histories of both countries through thematic exploration of common events that bind together the two countries. South Africa’s struggle of the past, was caused by issues of race, while that of Ireland, particularly Northern Ireland was caused by religion between Protestants and Catholics,” explained Homann in an interview.
He went further to explain that the collaboration between the Market Theatre and the Irish Embassy, in fact did not start last year, but has been there for the past four years as the Irish Embassy often celebrated some of their most important days at the Market Theatre. For example, St Patrick’s Day.
However when I spoke to both Homann and Meas, their focus was clearly on the job at hand, and that is to rehearse and polish Graduation of K-C, making show that come Sunday, at its premiere, the cast would be ready to deliver quality theatre to the audience.
“This is a new South African play, which will be performed for the first time during this festival. And so it is a world premiere for the play during the festival.
Homann revealed that the play has been in the making for the past 6, years, with minor changes effected during rehearsals to make it relevant to the contemporary issues of the day.
“What happened is that in 2019, I was commissioned to write the play, and completed the first draft in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The play was inspired by #FeesMustfall and #Rhodes Mustfall student protests of 2016.
However this play is about colonialism, as it is about family and history,” he said.
Meas, who is last year’s winner of the National Playwright Competition organised by the National Arts Festival in Makhanda, said that she was grateful to be afforded an opportunity to co-direct Graduation of K-C.
“What happened is that I have been doing a lot of things since after winning the competition, including writing and directing. I have known Greg from 2016, during #FeesMustfall protest when I was in 4th year (of drama studies at Wits). Greg was my lecturer at the time. I have since done my masters. For me, being a co-director is a privilege and I am grateful to be directing this play on the stages of the Market Theatre,” she said.
However an artistic endeavour is mainly an individual thing, with most artists preferring to work alone than collaborating with one another. I mentioned this to both of them.
“f course differences in approach inevitably happen between directors. However, in most cases, we agree a lot. Sometimes, it is a question of using different words for the same thing,” Greg explained how both of them approach the work they do in co-directing Graduation of K-C.
“Directing is about negotiation between directors, but sometimes, as well as between directors and the cast,” added Meas.
Compelling family drama – The Graduation of K-C – ready to Premiere at the Market Theatre
When the Dlomo family comes together to celebrate their daughter’s academic achievement, uncomfortable questions of identity, family history and belonging unravel.
The Graduation of K-C is a brand-new South African play by multi-award-winning playwright, director and dramaturg, Greg Homann, co-produced by The Market Theatre and How Now Brown Cow. The production will run from 5 – 29 November 2026 at The Market Theatre.
Set against the backdrop of a looming second wave to decolonise education, the play centres on a Xhosa father and Northern-Irish mother navigating identity, history and belonging as they gather to celebrate their 21 year-old daughter’s graduation from university. As tensions across generations surface and long-held assumptions are challenged, the enticing play explores love, politics and cultural inheritance with wit and emotional depth, offering a timely and resonant reflection on connection across history, place and borders.
Campbell Meas – actor, playwright and winner of the 2025 National Playwrights Competition – directs the play with Homann.
The formidable cast features rising star Ketsia Kamogelo Velaphi as K-C, alongside Julie-Anne McDowell and Lungi Pinda. The cast is completed by guest Irish actress and playwright, Morna Regan, who brings a rich layer of authenticity and cultural significance to the production.
The Graduation of K-C premieres at the Market Theatre as the country wrestles with heightened divisions and polarising voices around migration. At the heart of the play is the sentiment that ‘we do not belong to countries and maps…we only belong temporarily wherever we are!’
The play’s co-director, Campbell Meas, positions the work as a story about family histories converging through a milestone moment: The Graduation of K-C. Meas adds that for K-C, this moment is more meaningful than just a ceremonial academic capping; it’s potentially about using her voice to say something to her family, the student body, the university and the nation.
As she tries to make sense of her place in this big moment, her personal search for meaning intersects with the student politics of the time, inspired by the courage of the Fees Must Fall and Rhodes Must Fall movements ten years before she enrolled for her university degree.
Meas remarks, “K-C is at this precipice of what kind of young woman she is choosing to be, and she’s got a lot of adult figures in her life who have tried their best but who are, in K-C’s mind, offering conflicting guidance. And so, we’re met with all of these narratives and different versions of truth, and whose truth matters more, and whether that even matters.”
The Graduation of K-C will be staged as part of the SA/Irish Season, held at The Market Theatre across November and into December in partnership with the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa, bringing together a conversation around the troubled shared histories of both countries.
The SA/Irish Season culminates in a 5-day festival at the end of November with theatre, talks, exhibitions and screenings focusing on the stories that thematically and politically link Ireland and South Africa through their struggles for liberation, cultural influences and international solidarity.
For The Market Theatre, The Graduation of K-C – and the curation of the SA/Irish Season – is an artistic way of acknowledging this throughline.
“The script, more than being a modern family’s story, is a theatrical furtherance of this vital interconnectedness that has shaped the two nations across many decades of darkness and hope. As an institution, we’re delighted to have partnered with the Irish Embassy, and to have a guest Irish actress with us to sharpen the authenticity of the storytelling. At a time when the world seems increasingly divided, The Market Theatre remains a proud mouthpiece for the South African story and that story is shared across the world,” comments Greg Homann, Artistic Director at The Market Theatre Foundation.
Follow K-C’s story as she graduates into her own version of truth in this poignant, sharp and relevant family drama.
.Tickets for The Graduation of K-C are available on Webtickets – https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1597531722 with special discounts for the preview performance, for groups of four or more, and with all Wednesdays at half-price.
Safe and affordable underground parking available at Newtown Junction.
