Four new productions for Masque’s One-Act Play Festival

The Masque’s One-Act Play Festival presents four new South African plays, which have been developed as part of the Theatre’s Play Reading Programme.

The festival runs from Thursday April 10 to Saturday April 12, featuring works by writers Lauren Bates, Alex Learmont, Dawn Garisch and Charlene Colling.

“Each script has been through our Play Reading Programme and is ready to be brought to life on stage. After the performance, audiences will have a chance to chat to the writers, directors and actors about the entire process,” says festival director Melanie O'Connor Horn, who will host the post-performance discussions.

Dust is written by Lauren Bates and directed by Sue Wilkes. The play tells the tale of a young, white Capetonian woman, Megan Storey, newly qualified as an English teacher, beginning her career at an under-resourced school on the Cape Flats. Megan instantly clashes with the head of her department, Clive Adams, who has been at the school for nearly 30 years. Megan encourages her students, particularly a matric student named Jason, to dream of achieving something outstanding. Despite the tragic events that strike the school, the play is a hopeful celebration of both art and reconciliation.

Written by Alex Learmont and directed by Digby Young, The Dropped Baby asks who are you? Who were you in your class photo? Your wedding photo? Are you your memories? Can your memory be trusted? What made you who you are? Full of wry humour, The Dropped Baby tells the surprising but troubled life story of Charlie Niemand, a man who is just this side of the grave.

Knock Knock is written by Dawn Garisch and directed by Ceridwen Morris. The play is set in a seaside resort. A woman knocks on a man’s door asking for sugar. An intriguing encounter follows - two people in a room, rudderless under a sickle moon.

The first Afrikaans entry to the programme, H(Eg) is written by Charlene Colling and directed by Dian Harcovecchio. H(Eg) centres around Klara, a 19-year-old woman with a passion for dance, who is navigating the challenges of adulthood while dealing with the impending loss of her best friend, Hanri, to cancer. The story unfolds through vignettes of Klara’s life - meeting Hanri for the first time, her strained relationship with her parents, and her loving bond with Maggie, the family’s housekeeper. It’s a story of grief and hope as Klara continues to strive for her dreams.

The schedule is: 

Thursday April 10, at 7.30pm - H(Eg) and Dust

Friday April 11, at 7.30pm - The Dropped Baby and Knock Knock

Saturday April 12, at 2.30pm - The Dropped Baby and Knock Knock

Saturday April 12, at 7.30pm - H(Eg) and Dust

Tickets cost R120. Book through Quicket.