Take Me to Town

Described as combining elements of afro-futurism and magical realism, Thabiso T Ramalla takes satire to another level in weaving a post-covid, post-apocalyptic love story between Qhawe and Zinkwenkwezi. Read full Culture Review here. 

CREATIVE TEAM

Thabiso T Rammala is a Joburg based actor, director, writer overall Theatre Practitioner and Facilitator who trained at The Market Theatre Laboratory in 2009-2010. 

He performed in Monna Molora 'which premiered at The National Arts Festival, Relativity: Township Stories, Jozi Town and TO no Maseven for which he received the Zabalaza Festival's Best Supporting Actor. Thabiso played the leads in Omphile Molusi's Itsoseng and The Story I'm About To Tell  directed by Vice Monaheng. Over the last ten years he has directed numerous plays including Ashasie, Work Let Me See, Queens of Yeovile, Digging for Gold, Dig Where You Stand with Megan Wilson. He is currently refining his screen writing skills with Tshedza Pictures on their Showmax hit show Youngins. He is also one of the core writers for upcoming production house Back To Square One whose work is set to premier in 2024. He worked with LULE productions during their DisARTability Festival held at the Soweto Theatre in 2022 where he facilitated a group of students living with disability from the Adelaide Tambo School in White City Jabavu, Soweto. He wrote and directed NAKAMBE which was shown at the Market Theatre in 2019. He won a Naledi award for Tau.

Thabsio appears in a few commercials and has performed in a few cameo roles in Scandal, Ga Re Dumele s3 and Highrollers. 

 Ernest Ginger Baleni - Director and Choreographer - trained and danced with Vuyani Dance Theatre under Gregory Maqoma and has performed locally and internationally. Currently he is a part time teacher at Moving into Dance Mophatong and a Saturday dance teacher at the National Children’s Theatre. As a freelance Performing Artist, Choreographer, Movement Director and a Director he continues to work closely with Vuyani Dance Theatre and Theatre Duo (The Standard Bank Young Artist Award Recipient for Theatre 2022). As a Movement Director his works include The Suit Re-Imagined for stage for the National Arts Festival (2024), Poet O Type (2024) at The Market Theatre, Of Loss -Handle with Care  at the Baxter Theatre (2023 and nominated for a Fleur du Cap), Khongolose Khommanding Khomissars (2023) at the National Arts Festival, Market Theatre and State Theatre and Story and Breath Taking Stories Everywhere. As a dancer, he performed in Vuyani Dance Theatre's international award-winning piece Cion (2018-2024). His own creations include Lefelleng (2017 – 2023) at the Dance Factory, Fezile Dabi District Festival, Market Theatre Laboratory, ItrotraMAP Dance Festival, Performing Art Centre of the Free State and Ezempilo Mental Health Festival. He directed Isililo (2023) at the Market Theatre Laboratory, was choreographer for Tugela Award Ceremony (2022) and Unknown (2019) for Vuyani Week. 

Ernest ‘Ginger’ Baleni is one, whose movement direction and practice is rooted in what the body communicates physically in direct relation to the textual meaning of language. The body asks questions, and the body yearns for answers.

Sibusizo Mkhize - Musical Director -  is a Sowetan born theatre practitioner, performer, musical director/musician, actor mentor, lecturer, facilitator, sound engineer and graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand and has been an accomplished performer since an early age. Sibusiso has appeared in television productions like Cooking Magic, Fundani Nathi, Soul Buddies, Jozi Streets and was a cast member of the Oscar-winning film Tsotsi. Sibusiso has been in show business for years spanning to almost two decades with high profile events such as Indlulamithi South African Scenarios 2030 presentation, the Fifa World Cup Opening and Closing ceremony showcase in 2010, and the MC of the Anglo-American Platinum awards and Motsepe Foundation Closing Ceremony in 2018.

His theatre performances include Sarafina (2010), Maid in Mzansi (2014), No Good Friday (2014), Vumani Oedipus (2015), Yerma (2015), Ruined (2016), Thari (2016), Chilahaebolae (2017,2018,2021), Shrek Jr (2017), Antony and Cleopatra (2018), Amabali Amandulo (2018), Devil On The Cross (2018) ,uNosilimela (2019), Vocal Museum (2023) and the Naledi award winning show Tiny The Tokoloshe (2019). His musical directing portfolio includes working on: Thari, uNosilimela, Tiny The Tokoloshe, Ha Bra Saki, Chilahaebolae, The Shadow Pillar and Lerumo Badimong (2022).

Sibusiso is also a pianist and backing vocalist for Kgafela le Marabele and is part of the Standard Bank Ovation Award winning band iPhupho Lika Biko

Pulane Mafatshe - Producer - is a writer, singer, actor and producer. She was part of the Fifa World Cup Opening ceremony in 2010. In 2012 she was one of the winners of the Hansa Pilsner Competition where she performed alongside international acts such as Usher with the band Mo and The Dark Knights led by acting sensation Motlatsi Mafatshe. In 2015 she took part in the Sing Off competition where she and her singing ensemble Hashtag Amagagu came in fifth place. 

She is part of the Standard Bank Golden Ovation Award winning fifteen-piece musical outfit iPhupho Lika Biko whose EP Azania was released in 2023. She is part of the Indaba Is compilation that was released in January 2021 on iPhupho Lka Biko’s Abaphezulu featuring Siyabonga Mthembu and Kinsmen. Her work in the literary space has appeared in various publications such as iLiso Magazine, Amabali Wethu Publication and Culture Review Magazine. She also acted and directed the adaptation of Mapule Mohulati’s children’s book Mizz President which was performed at the Abantu Book Festival in 2018. 

Over the past years she acted in Devil On the Cross (2018) uNosilimela (2019) directed by Kgafela Oa Magogodi and Prince Lamla and Chilahaebolae (2020) directed by Kgafela Oa Magogodi. She directed Rain of Knives  written by Mbe Mbhele which showed at the Wits Oweek in 2020. She is currently exploring the world of screenwriting. Her credits appear on Parental Advisory’s Nikiwe and Back to Square One’s films which are set to premier in 2024 

PERFORMERS

Darlington Khoza

Moagi Kai is an actor, physical theatre performer and director who hails from Mahikeng, in the North West.After studying at The Market Theatre Laboratory he joined Market Theatre Lab’s KWASHA! Theatre Company (2022)

He scooped his first two Naledi Awards as part of an ensemble in 2019 and two nominations with KWASHA! Theatre Company in 2023. Moagi has a growing interest in the relationship between ‘voice’ and ‘the body’ and exploring processes that speak through sensory experiences through performance and collaboration. He played in critically acclaimed Kongholse Kommanding Khommissars written by Standard Bank Award winning artist Jefferson Tshabalala and directed by Theatre Duo, the Standard Bank Young Artists for 2023. 

Ziaphora Dakile is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYC). Notable performances include Lottie/Carmen in By The Way, Meet Vera Stark (NYC), Antigone in Welcome to Thebes (NYC), Julius Caesar in Julius Caesar (NYC) and Sister Dominique in Me and The Girls (with Alan Cumming, an NYC world premiere). Ziaphora has also been a dialect consultant for the Classical Stage Company (NYC) and the Signature Theatre Company (NYC) working closely with the renowned director, performance coach and dialect coach Barbara Rubin.

Nationally, Ziaphora has been seen in Di Aparo Tsa Mama, a play by Rorisang Mothuba which showed at the Market Theatre, the University of Johannesburg’s Paper Double Bill performance of Paper Cuts written by Tamarisk-Ray Glogauer and Waiting for Lift off  written by Nomakhwezi Becker, two world premiering plays each with two characters. The Paper Double Bill showed at the Free State Arts Festival and the University of Johannesburg (2023). Ziaphora played Mandisa Makhaya in John Kani’s historic yet contemporary play Nothing But The Truth alongside Sello Maake KaNcube at the Sandton Theatre On The Square. Ziaphora was recently seen at the Market Theatre in The Brothers, Number One and a Weekend Special. Ziaphora featured in the film Stripped and she is a voice artist for several brands and radio stations as well as a theatre and TVC producer.  Television credits for 2024 include commercials for TikTok, Nissan and Debonairs Pizza. A new series for BET Africa called Pound for Pound and a series called Liar, are set to premier this year. 

She is the cofounder of the production company: Looks Like Us Productions with Melissa Haiden..

Zethu Dhlomo

MUSICIANS

Lufzo Bhovungane

Nandi Zulu

Mandisa Yende

Katlego Mollo

With support from Mzansi Golden Economy