Wits Theatre brings a gripping reimagining of YaëlFarber’s MOLORA to the National Arts Festival this June, directed and adapted by the talented Tshepang Sehole. Running on the Fringe from 26 June to 3 July at St Andrews Hall in Makhanda, MOLORA is a physical theatre work that confronts the wounds of the past and offers prayer as a path to healing.
Molora premiered to rave reviews and thunderous audience applause as part of the Pitso Ya Kalaneng – A Call to Theatre programme at the Wits Theatre in February this year.
Drawing from Farber’s original work— itself a radical reworking of Aeschylus’s Oresteia—MOLORA transposes the ancient story of vengeance and reconciliation into the post-Apartheid context of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. At its heart is the meeting of a mother and daughter—perpetrator and survivor—who face each other across two wooden tables of testimony. As their history unfolds with brutal honesty and fragile hope, a Chorus steps forward to offer prayer: a ritual act of healing for the land and its people.
The cast features Beata-Bellé Wessie, Keratilwe Bikitsha, and Luvuyo Zulwayo in the principal roles, supported by a powerful Chorus composed of Ongeziwe Mpongo, Asibonge Ntuli, Nqobile Xulu, and Kwandokuhle Goba. The production’s haunting musical landscape is created live by musicians Itebogeng Machobane, Phoebe Mgxaji, Juliette Love, and Thabiso Motaung.
“This production is an uncompromising, deeply affecting piece of theatre that speaks not only to South Africa’s history but to the human condition,” says Malcolm Purkey, Consulting Director of the Wits Theatre Complex. “With its raw emotional power, physical intensity, and spiritual resonance, MOLORA will undoubtedly be one of the most talked-about works on this year’s Fringe. It is the kind of theatre that demands to be witnessed.”
Directed with clarity and depth by Sehole, and supported by stage manager Mosima Mokgahlane, the 40-minute production balances the stark reality of trauma with moments of lyricism and ritual. It is a bold contribution to the ongoing national conversation on justice, memory, and reconciliation.
Tickets: R80 (Students) | R100 (Adults) / https://tickets.nationalartsfestival.co.za/en/events/995/molora
Performance Dates & Times:
26 June 2025 (10:00) – 26 June 2025 (10:50)
27 June 2025 (18:00) – 27 June 2025 (18:50)
28 June 2025 (12:00) – 28 June 2025 (12:50)
29 June 2025 (20:00) – 29 June 2025 (20:50)
30 June 2025 (16:00) – 30 June 2025 (16:50)
01 July 2025 (10:00) – 01 July 2025 (10:50)
02 July 2025 (16:00) – 02 July 2025 (16:50)
03 July 2025 (20:30) – 03 July 2025 (21:20)
Venue: St Andrews Hall, National Arts Festival, Makhanda | Duration: 50 minutes | Age Restriction: 13+
Presented by Wits Theatre in collaboration with the Wits School of Arts – Theatre and Performance and supported by the National Arts Festival.