When We Awake

Described by industry professionals and critics as "a nuanced exhibition of protest theatre", When We Awake uses story-telling to talk about gender-based violence and patriarchy. It is fun, prickly, hilarious, crazy, and sad.

The powerful two-hander had its debut just before the 2020 lockdown and was first developed with Andrew Buckland and Mncedisi Shabangu under the direction and conceptualisation of Nwabisa Plaatjie and further developed and performed by Nolufefe Ntshuntshe and Sisipho Mbopa.


When We Awake strikes the perfect balance of physical theatre, mouthpiece monologue, caricature, sentiment and ease as it delves into the outcomes of the #menaretrash, #metoo, #aminext movements of recent years as the horrific scourge of #GBV against women and children continues in this country and around the world.

Weaving three levels of storytelling - the world of the actors, writers, and directors, their hopes and aspirations, the familial world, family, belonging, love, loss, society as we perceive it, gender-based violence and patriarchy - the play within a play shares the story of two sisters who are haunted by the loss of their older sister, Notea. They were told by their mother that Notea had drowned in a pot of porridge. Their grandmother told them a different story, however, she was never honest about exactly what happened to their sibling. With two versions of the story, the sisters are confused, and each believes a different account of what really transpired.

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