Cottonwool Kid

First performed at POPArt , Johannesburg in 2018, this is what people had to say:

The genius, the beauty and the horror, the funny that is heart-wrenching - Owen Lonzar, International choreographer

A remarkable balance of hard hitting and poignancy. Beautifully controlled, skilled .. .fantastic material cleverly weaved together - Gerard Bester, Artistic Director of the Windybrow Theatre

 Brava Toni Morkel! What a brilliant performance and very meaningful story. Congratulations to you and Sylvaine Strike on this outstanding collaboration!  - Gail Howarth

CREATIVE TEAM

Toni Morkel has been working in theatre for over 40 years. She works as an actor, director and teacher. Toni’s first love in theatre is workshopping and co-creating through improvisation.

Toni’s directorial work includes Firefly with Andrew Buckland and Sylvaine Strike; Balloonacy with Craig Morris; The Agents, with Roberto Pombo and Co; Op die Hoek van Styx and River… with Sandra Prinsloo and David Viviers and most recently I Can Buy Myself Flowers with Erika Breytenbach, written by Mike van Graan.

Toni’s theatre appearances include her solo show Cottonwool Kid, directed by Sylvaine Strike, (Naledi nomination for best independent theatre production); The Boy who Cried Ninja for Contagious Theatre (Naledi nomination for best performer in a show for young audiences);  Tobacco, and the Harmful Effects Thereof with Andrew Buckland, directed by Sylvaine Strike (Naledi nomination for Best Supporting Actress); Izithombe 2094 directed by Alex Halligey;  Hearts Hotel directed by James Cuningham; Roach directed by Khutjo Green; The Last Show with Roberto Pombo, directed by Jemma Kahn; The Merry Wives of Zuma written and directed by Pieter Dirk Uys; Jenine Collocott's High Diving; Grimm Tales at the Market Theatre (Naledi nomination for Best Female Comedy Performance); The Fortune Cookie Theatre Company’s Coupé and The Travellers. Amongst others.

Toni began improvising with the Gauteng Theatresports Company based at The Market Theatre Laboratory in 1993. In 2009 she and Roberto Pombo co- founded Causing a Scene, the Johannesburg based improvisation group.

Toni entered the world of theatre, after completing her studies in Fine Arts, first through Costume Arts, and then she joined The Handspring Puppet Company for 3 years where she trained as a performer and puppeteer and gained invaluable experience in theatre making.

Sylvaine Strike is a critically acclaimed director, theatre maker, actress and teacher.

Her work is known for its enchanting visual, highly physical, poetic and magical content which has delighted and moved audiences for over two decades. With acclaimed recent successes such as Endgame in 2019, Kiss of the Spider Woman in 2021, Firefly in 2022, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf in 2023, The Promise in 2023, LAMTA’s Spring Awakening in 2024 and most recently The Tempest for the Maynardville Open Air Festival in 2025, she has garnered the reputation both nationally and internationally for making and performing in theatre that moves hearts and challenges the imagination in audiences of all ages. Sylvaine has collaborated with Toni Morkel since the inception of The Fortune Cookie Theatre Company, creating works in collaboration and directing Toni in the groundbreaking The Travellers and later their delightful Cottonwool Kid. Their enchanting and much acclaimed Firefly devised alongside Andrew Buckland and Tony Bentel and directed by Toni, was awarded the Fiesta Best Production in 2022. 

Sylvaine is a passionate teacher whose mission is to awaken emerging actors to their individual potential, providing them with tools that will unlock their minds and bodies to make their own theatre and discover the power of storytelling.

Sylvaine is the recipient of the Fleur Du Cap Best Director Award 2024 for her direction of Spring Awakening.