Paul Slabolepszy’s latest play, Bitter Winter, will run at the Baxter from 21 May until 14 June 2025. Bitter Winter offers a heartfelt exploration of the artist’s life. It celebrates the legends of South African theatre while shining a light on the new generation of rising stars making their mark on the global stage. Lesedi Job directs.
This tender tale takes audiences along the winding, sometimes rocky road that many artists feel compelled to travel in pursuit of their dreams.
The Sheriff in the American Western film Six Guns at Sesriem is not the role a classically-trained actor in his mid-70s would typically aspire to – yet for Jean-Louis Lourens (Andre Odendaal), this casting could be his lifeline. As Jean-Louis waits at a high-stakes audition for the arrival of the American movie director, he encounters Prosper Mangane (Oarabile Ditsele), an up-and-coming television and film star. Prosper’s youthful energy and adventurous spirit offer Jean-Louis a new perspective on their shared profession—a career both rewarding and unforgiving.
With slick and efficient casting director, Felicia Willemse (Chantal Stanfield), keeping the actors updated on the impending arrival of the hot-shot director, Jean-Louis and Prosper are left alone to reflect on their journeys in the cold, barren audition room. Their dialogue takes audiences through the struggles and triumphs of actors who remain deeply committed to their craft despite the challenges they face.
Thought-provoking new South African play
Bitter Winter made its debut in Johannesburg in February and March, receiving rave reviews from audience and critics alike, highlighting how this fresh and thought-provoking new South African play resonated far and wide with all who watched it.
Paul Slabolepszy, a recent recipient of a Naledi Lifetime Achievement Theatre Award for his work in theatre, is one of South Africa’s most revered playwrights, known for his character-driven stories that speak to the human condition, with a body of work that resonates both locally and internationally.
What: Bitter Winter Paul Slabolepszy
Where and when: Baxter Studio from 21 May to 14 June 2025
Tickets: Webtickets
WS
