The Market Theatre in partnership with Hattiloo Theatre presents, direct from Memphis Tennessee, the first performance of “Blues in the Night” on African soil. Running for a strictly limited season from 5 – 22 February 2026, this Tony-nominated musical celebrates blues, jazz and gospel classics, and their connection with love, resilience and the emotional lives of Black women.

Conceived by Tony Award winner, Sheldon Epps, “Blues in the Night” is a scorching, small-scale musical in which the soul of the blues wails out full and strong. Through 26 hot and torchy numbers, the show weaves the sweet, sexy, and sorrowful stories of three women entangled with a lying, cheating man, leaving audiences energised and inspired.

Featuring glorious songs by legends such as Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox, and more, the musical captures the pain and heartache of life and love, as well as the resilience and determination that define the very essence of the blues.

It is directed and choreographed by Emma Crystal, with musical direction by Dr. Ashley K. Davis.

The show arrives at The Market Theatre as part of Black History Month, which marks its 100th year in 2026. The centenary calls for an honest reflection on memory, healing, culture, as well as the condition and position of Black bodies in an increasingly divided world. This milestone coincides with The Market Theatre’s 50th anniversary, a powerful connection that presents a rich opportunity for representation and amplification of unheard voices.  

In addition, this month-long international engagement arrives in South Africa in the 70th anniversary of the historic 9 August 1956 Women’s March, putting a much needed spotlight on Black women’s struggles across the world and highlighting the shared challenges we face.

Playing alongside South Africa’s musical theatre classic “Marabi”, this curated season of musical work at The Market Theatre celebrates the influence of song and sound across the USA and South Africa in confronting injustice and giving oppressed people a vocabulary of resistance and hope. 

Founder and CEO of Hattiloo Theatre, Ekundayo Bandele, and Artistic Director of The Market Theatre Foundation, Greg Homann, highlight the common histories between the two theatres in staging socially engaged works that prick at their respective nations’ collective conscience.

“From South Africa to the U.S., generations of oppressed people have sung their way up against discrimination, racism, subjugation and dispossession as an unstoppable wave. This year as we proudly present ‘Blues in the Night’ for its African premiere, we also celebrate music’s  ability to remind us of our shared humanity despite our fractured times,” shares Homann.

“The centenary of Black History Month finds us at a crossroad as a nation, as we interrogate the various histories that have shaped our democracy. In the local context, ‘Blues in the Night’ is a commemoration of the courage of the women of 1956, the fearless spirit of the youth behind the 1976 uprisings and the brave hearts who bared themselves open at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in pursuit of justice 30 years ago. As The Market Theatre celebrates 50 years of artistic excellence, it does so not only as a crucible for South African theatre, but also a stage that shaped the country’s cultural identity.”

Ekundayo Bandele is excited about the upcoming season in Africa. “Taking ‘Blues in the Night’ to The Market Theatre in Johannesburg is an incredible honour for Hattiloo. I’m deeply proud to share our work on an international stage and to create a moment where Memphis artists can carry our stories, our sound, and our spirit across the world,” he says.

This cultural intersection between the two socially conscious theatres will also see a South African production travel to Memphis this year for a season. This, states Homann, is in line with The Market Theatre’s approach to international collaboration, aimed at ensuring that partnerships benefit local talent.

Don’t miss this wonderful chance to enjoy the best of Memphis talent at The Market Theatre for a powerful celebration in February of music, history and heritage.