The Market Theatre is pleased to present ‘Fatherhood’, a production that won the 31st iteration of one of the most significant and longest running community theatre festivals, the Zwakala Festival.
Originally created through The Alex Theatre Company and Academy, the play will have a run from 9 – 19 October 2025 in the Barney Simon Theatre, a performance space named after the visionary behind Zwakala.
‘Fatherhood’ features a young cast that poignantly bares the crisis of absent fathers for our collective reckoning. It is written by Mike Dzova and directed by Archie Oupa Matsetela, under the mentorship of award-winning playwright and director, Ntshieng Mokgoro. The script presents a fresh take at this complex societal issue, calling for a moment of reflection on the kind of world we’re creating for younger generations. Gearing up for its run as a developed production at The Market Theatre under Mokgoro’s mentorship, it promises to captivate audiences with its dynamic blend of acapella with saxophone, slick movement and text.
Matsetela describes ‘Fatherhood’ as a work that is as much urgent as it is edgy, innovative in how it confronts the emotional impact of fatherlessness and intergenerational conflict on families. He continues, “The play follows the struggles of four boys, most of whom raised by single mothers, who try to comprehend the void left by their absent fathers—and the fathers they thought they had. The text comes from a place of childhood innocence, and is therefore carried out with brutal honesty, humour and emotiveness. As the friends reflect on growing up in broken homes, they hold a mirror for audiences to witness the emotional turmoil caused by fatherlessness.”
While the piece depicts the ills of absent fatherhood, it equally shines the spotlight on mothers who have had to stand in the gap for runaway fathers. In exposing the emptiness children without present fathers often contend with, it further highlights the resilience it takes to run single-parent households. According to the 2024 State of South African Fathers report, only 35.6% of South African children live with their biological fathers, while 24% stay in households without any man. The impact of absent fathers on children, especially boys, is widely documented.
The Market Theatre’s artistic focus over the next few months centres, in part, on issues relating to fathers. ‘Fatherhood’ will sit alongside the beautifully crafted Naledi-nominated dance-theatre piece, ‘Father & I’, as well as ‘Gabo Legwala’: an autobiographical piece by Modise Sekgothe that blends poetry, music and storytelling to highlight the scourge of fatherlessness.
Greg Homann, Artistic Director at The Market Theatre Foundation, praised ‘Fatherhood’ for its boldness in tackling this important and deeply triggering subject for many people. Homann added that through programmes such as Zwakala Festival, The Market Theatre Foundation lives up to its brand story of guiding artistic talent from cradle to great. “It’s our mission as an organisation to break down barriers to entry for community theatre makers, shaping the next generation of South African storytellers. We aim to go beyond unearthing authentic stories from communities, and commit to also develop and introduce them to our mainstream stage.”
Don’t miss ‘Fatherhood’ at The Market Theatre from 9 – 19 October 2025. Get your tickets today on Webtickets, and become part of scripting the future of live entertainment. Full price tickets are R150, with special discounts for the preview performance and Wednesdays at half-price.
Affordable, safe and secure underground parking is available at the Newtown Junction.
