Saints revives Sophiatown to a standing ovation!

As part of our rich theatre tradition, the St Stithians Boys’ College Drama Department proudly presented the full-length edition of Sophiatown by the Junction Theatre Avenue Company from 11 – 17 March. Sophiatown is a true South African theatre masterpiece and exuberantly celebrates our rich cultural heritage while at the same time reflecting on our turbulent past as a country.

In collaboration with the Girls’ College Drama Department, we offered a double bill of shows running twice daily to IEB and DBE schools from across the province and beyond. The dynamic cast and crew, in a true professional theatrical run, performed 12 times to more than 1200 audience members over the course of the week. The production proved to be extremely well-received and played to rave reviews.

Under the direction of Ms Rachael Makatile, each show was a celebration of excellence as every single student in the cast and crew demonstrated a theatrical maturity beyond their years. The powerful universal message of the play left audience members cheering and, at times, emotional as they were ready to discuss the social injustices and traumatic realities reflected by the piece.

Sophiatown certainly became a conversation piece and demonstrated that if our realities are mirrored with sincerity, integrity, and truth, it becomes a powerful educational tool – as it allows audience members to empathise as they walk in the shoes of the characters on stage. This is the immediate power of theatre and something we should cherish and nurture. This is how our students learn to become responsible and empathetic pioneers for social justice. It is a theatre of transformation. A theatre for education. A theatre of identity. A theatre of change. May we continue to nurture and celebrate our cultural heritage through theatre.