Zakes Mda’s heartwarming two-hander, And the Girls in their Sunday Dresses, will run at the Baxter Studio from 13 February to 7 March 2026.
The timeless South African classic is a humorous, biting political commentary and tribute to human resilience – a reminder that behind every queue lies a story of survival, hope and hard-won dignity. The razor-sharp, deeply moving drama is set in a sluggish government food-aid queue. It follows two women – a sharp-tongued Lady and a weary, witty Woman, whose lives intersect in unexpected ways, offering an honest observation of relationships. While they wait in the queue, their stories unravel with satire and tenderness, exposing the inequalities, corruption and daily bureaucratic battles that shape their world.
Directed by Mdu Kweyama (The Goat, or Who is Sylvia; Trouble in Mind) the play features the award-winning Awethu Hleli as The Woman and Tamzin Daniels as The Lady. Design is by Leopoldt Senekal (Trouble in Mind; The Mysteries), soundscape/ music composition by Jannous Aukema (Metamorphoses; Neighbourhood) and lighting design by Solomon Mashiane (Purpose, ‘n Pandok se Liefde).
Humorous, biting political commentary
Playwright Zakes Mda is the acclaimed author of Ways of Dying, The Heart of Redness and numerous other works. A recipient of South Africa’s Order of Ikhamanga, he is a prolific writer of novels, plays, poetry and scholarly and journalistic articles. His work has been translated into 20 languages. Mda’s creative practice also extends to painting, as well as theatre and film production.
Kweyama, who is at the helm of the production, is also artistic director of the Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival. Awethu Hleli and Tamzin Daniels are both members of the Baxter’s Fires Burning Company. Recipients of the 2025 Fleur du Cap Award for Best Ensemble for Metamorphoses, they were seen at The Baxter in productions such as Othello; Of Loss: Handle with Care, Neighbourhood; Trouble in Mind; An Unromantic Comedy and La Ronde.
And the Girls in their Sunday Dresses was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in Scotland in 1988 and has performed all over the world.
What: And the Girls in their Sunday Dresses
Where and when: Baxter Studio from 13 February to 7 March 2026 at 8pm with Saturday matinees at 3pm
Tickets: Webtickets
WS
