Original ‘Sarafina!’ cast reunites after 35 years
· Citizen
Members of the original cast of Sarafina! will reunite for a special 56-minute performance as part of The Market Theatre’s 50th birthday celebrations.
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The anniversary festival kicks off on Friday, 19 June and will run until Sunday, 21 June 2026.
The Sarafina! reunion brings together Baby Cele, Dieketseng Mnisi, Dumisani Dlamini, Nhlanhla Ngema and several other original cast members.
The musical, written by the late Mbongeni Ngema, was first staged in 1987 and later became one of South Africa’s most internationally recognised productions.
It was adapted into a film directed by Darrell Roodt and starring Whoopi Goldberg and Leleti Khumalo. The film premiered in 1992.
The reunion coincides with South Africa’s annual commemoration of the 1976 student uprisings.
@mthobisimkhize43@Soweto Theatre @Joburg Theatre @sarafina https://www.sowetotheatre.com/?fbclid=IwRlRTSASWuxRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeiE0lRW3g5N-_IRxzELjWVrRXtDkpUj4Jev8rh3NqGt2USX–SjVQbil9WDQ_aem_YWdncwB2KU0ukjVZrQzcTvq-z0DB
♬ original sound – MTHOBISI
Market Theatre’s 50th anniversary celebrations
The anniversary will be celebrated through a series of performances, discussions and exhibitions from 19 to 21 June 2026.
Artistic director Greg Homann said the weekend-long programme highlights the theatre’s commitment to South African storytelling.
“We have curated the whole birthday weekend experience not only in memory of the past, but as a commitment that the Market Theatre will always be home to the South African story in as authentic a way as possible, told by voices from all backgrounds,” he said.
The programme will include a production titled Let’s Meet at The Market, a series of conversations and exhibitions tracing the institution’s history.
The Market Theatre and the Baxter Theatre will also stage RISE ’76: The Story of June 16th, a new play written and directed by Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni.