The Market Theatre has teamed up with The TX Theatre Hub in a groundbreaking collaboration intended to dismantle barriers between mainstream platforms and fringe creations, while amplifying community storytelling. As a result of this partnership, The Market Theatre is a proud host of The TX Theatre Hub @ The Market, a festival of five works running from 24 – 28 September 2025. The festival boldly aims to present new and existing works by emerging and established voices, nurture talent and connect traditional narratives with contemporary expressions for the viewing pleasure of audiences.
For five days, the festival promises five compelling productions, comprising of comedy, drama, and puppetry. The works include Masai Sepuru’s ‘Dark Magic’ and Moruti Abednigo Dlamini’s ‘Stevovo the Puppeteer’, ‘Madi Phatleng’ by Solly Ramatswi, ‘Chasing Laughter’ by Isaac Sithole, as well as ‘Behind Van Vuuren’s Farm’ by Mxolisi Masilela.
Mxolisi Masilela, Founder of The TX Theatre Hub described the collaboration between The Market Theatre and the Tembisa-based theatre hub as both “timely and necessary”, elaborating: “It bridges the divide between mainstream and fringe productions, brings fresh energy to the sector, ensuring that stories born in the township reach wider audiences, while affirming their place in the national cultural conversation.”
Masilela added that both theatres stood to benefit from this historic partnership. “The TX Theatre represents the next wave of theatre-making: daring, raw, and rooted in community. It has become a platform for young, independent artists to develop work that speaks to today’s realities, often with limited resources but unlimited creativity. This collaboration matters because each theatre needs the other. Together, they create a powerful pipeline that ensures artistic excellence is not confined by geography or resources.”
In addition to exposing audiences to authentic township stories that rarely enjoy the spotlight, the collaboration between The TX Theatre Hub @ The Market Theatre collaboration is also about sustainability and inclusivity in an increasingly vulnerable arts sector facing shrinking funding and strong competition from alternative mediums. As they join hands, the two organisations will attempt to reimagine the relationship between mainstream and community-based theatre, and explore future fruitful partnerships.
Complementing the festival’s best-five performances are two interactive talks designed to deepen audience engagement. For the first talk, Mxolisi Masilela will join The Market Theatre Foundation’s Artistic Director, Greg Homann, in discussing the intersection of theatre, history and activism. The second talk will be a reflection session on the dominant themes emerging out of the festival, giving audiences intimate access to the stories. All talks are free of charge.
Greg Homann highlighted the investment made by The Market Theatre Foundation in empowering community-based creatives, a legacy of nearly 50 years.
“The Market Theatre Foundation regards fringe theatre as the future of storytelling. We have chosen to collaborate with The TX Theatre Hub who are doing immensely important work in amplifying the often-unheard voices in our communities. This partnership is a continuation of the longstanding investment we have made in developing the next layer of South African theatre, creating new entry level opportunities, empowering young theatre-makers with meaningful creative roles and introducing fresh voices to our loyal audiences. We have done this in the past through initiatives such as the decades-old Zwakala community theatre festival and our recent introduction of Kippies Fringe, which allow us to maintain our legacy as a crucible for fearlessly honest performances,” Homann said.
As The TX Theatre Hub @ The Market approaches, township stories that are often staged first in small community venues will now stand on the same platform that has propelled many of South Africa’s greatest stage plays. This visibility will go a long way in demonstrating that township-born creativity is central and not tangential to the country’s artistic future, sustainability and relatability.
The TX Theatre Festival is also supported by the National Arts Council (NAC) and the Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation.
Don’t miss the heart and soul of township storytelling, from 24 – 28 September 2025 at The Market Theatre. Tickets are available on Webtickets for R140 per show, with weekend day passes priced at R200. Buy one get one free special for the first 21 tickets per show applies.
Affordable, safe and secure underground parking is available at the Newtown Junction.
