Milnerton Players will present The Night of January 16, written by iconic writer/philosopher Ayn Rand and directed by veteran Johann van der Merwe.
From 6 to 21 February, 2026, the Milnerton Playhouse stage becomes a courtroom and the audience – the jury. With this participation as the key to the outcome of the show, 12 patrons become jurors who will vote guilty or not-guilty every night, thus changing the end of each show.
A play with a difference
This totally gripping drama about the rise and destruction of a brilliant and ruthless man is a play with a difference as you decide the fate of Karen Andre: guilty or not guilty? This embodies Rand’s style of social commentary – “Who is truly on trial — the accused, or the society that judges her?” it promises to be a nail- biting, thought provoking and absorbing evening.
The trial of Karen Andre (Kendra Maduray) grips New York. Once the brilliant secretary — and mistress — of powerful Swedish financier Bjorn Faulkner, she now stands accused of his death after he fell fifty stories from the penthouse they once shared.
The courtroom becomes the stage for a moral duel between two opposing worlds: the cold rationalism of District Attorney Flint (Tumelo Mogashoa) and the passionate defiance of Defence Attorney Stevens, (Gillian Vosloo) who insists that the truth about Faulkner’s death is tied to the kind of man he was — ruthless, magnetic, and unbound by ordinary rules.
Witnesses deliver testimony one by one: the building staff, the police inspector, a private investigator, the widow and more. Each with another piece of the puzzle, until an unexpected twist silences the courtroom. The judge watches. The attorneys question. Tension reigns.
A critic of social conformity
While Ayn Rand achieved fame as a novelist, (The Fountainhead/Atlas Shrugged, among her most famous) her first public success came as a playwright. Night of January 16th, which opened on Broadway in 1935, introduced her to audiences as a bold critic of social conformity. The themes explored are as relevant today.
The cast includes a combination of veteran actors, a few newcomers in the smaller roles; all exceeding expectations with their performances during rehearsal. LAMTA graduate, Tumelo Mogashoa makes his amateur theatre debut as the District Attorney.
The creative team of director: Johann Van Der Merwe, production designer /assistant director: Hema Maskowitz, have put their considerable expertise into presenting this production, alongside very experienced stage manager & props mistress, Melissa Marcus.
What: Ann Rand’s Night of January 16
Evenings: Friday 6, 13, 20; Saturday 7, 14, 21 February 2026, 19.30
Matinees: Saturday 14 and 21 February; Sunday 8 February, 14.30
Venue: Milnerton Playhouse Theatre, 81 Pienaar Road, Milnerton, Cape Town
Tickets: R150, www.milnertonplayers.co.za; Concessions/Discounts email bookings@milnertonplayers.com
Follow: Instagram: @milnerton_players; Facebook: @milnerton_players Website : www.milnertonplayers.co.za
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