South Africa’s musical theatre classic, “Marabi”, makes a grand return to The Market Theatre, launching the theatre’s year-long 50th anniversary celebrations on a high note. Directed by Arthur Molepo, who was part of the original cast, the play with music that is produced by Mpho Molepo (Molepo Theatre Projects) in association with The Market Theatre runs from 19 Jan – 15 Feb 2026.

Set in the tough Doornfontein yards of the 1930s, “Marabi” tells the story of an ordinary family of first-generation black migrants to Johannesburg who have had to move to the city, leaving behind a peaceful and predictable life. Held neatly together by a wonderful musicality, the play explores love and loss, as well as how music and memory connect the past to the present.

As an adaptation of Modikwe Dikobe’s seminal book titled “Marabi Dance”, the story unfolds through the character of July Mabongo as he struggles with ancestral duty, poverty and urban life. Mabongo’s daughter Martha falls in love with Ginger George, a charismatic marabi instrumentalist, defying tradition and sparking family conflict. The script – originally workshopped by Junction Avenue Theatre Company – is brought to life by a nine-member cast that features Sello Sebotsane (as Mabongo), Katleho Moloi (as Ginger George) and Gabisile Tshabalala (as Martha), to mention a few.

Staged in the 140th year since Johannesburg was formed, the piece in 2026 presents an important reflection on the city’s unique cultural identity, artistic richness and movement of people. It looks into the introduction of recorded music and the exploitation of artists that followed, bearing rich reflection for the music industry, especially for up-and-coming musicians. This local classic further exposes the evils of the apartheid regime’s forced removals, which uprooted families from Doornfontein to Soweto in order to achieve its ideology of segregation.

Director Arthur Molepo calls the revival of “Marabi” during The Market Theatre’s landmark year a profound tribute to South Africa’s cultural heritage. “This is not just a classic story retold with a fresh voice and sound,” he explains. “It’s also an opportunity to bridge generations of artists, promote social cohesion and preserve our country’s musical heritage. This piece speaks to the power of music as a transcendent force, using rhythm to guide us back to our roots.”

For The Market Theatre, opening its 50th anniversary year with this uniquely South African work illustrates its proud legacy as the people’s theatre.

Greg Homann, Artistic Director at The Market Theatre Foundation, states: “Our 50th celebrations will be guided by our principles of fearless storytelling, shared ownership and programming that reflects our nation’s diversity. This work is a signature South African theatre piece that will be enjoyed by both our legacy audiences as well as new theatre-goers of any age, giving them access to a period that defined the soul of the city. It’s a perfect play to sit as our 50th Anniversary season premiere, as we look back at the past and set the tone for the future.”

Homann further notes that just as marabi rose from the hardship of one of Johannesburg’s toughest spaces to become the city’s defining cultural sound and movement, The Market Theatre too was born in the wake of one of apartheid’s darkest tragedies: June 16, 1976. “We opened our doors in the same week as the Youth Uprising, which rooted The Market to a legacy of using artistic expression to resist oppression. It feels especially fitting, then, to begin

our 50th-anniversary year with a production that celebrates how music and dance have shaped our social life and created a sense of home for generations of migrants navigating a fast-paced and unfamiliar city,” he says.

Get ready to start your year with a theatrical experience that reminds us of South Africa’s true gift to the world: the power of sound, movement and storytelling.

Tickets for the show are available on Webtickets – https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1579397410 via The Market Theatre’s website, with special festive season prices at R150 available till 11 January 2026. Reduced price bookings of 4 or more and half-price Wednesdays are also on sale.

Affordable, safe and secure underground parking is available at the Newtown Junction.