The Baxter and Market Theatres will join forces to present Rise ’76: The Story of June 16th, a new production marking the 50th anniversary of the Soweto student uprising of June 1976. The production runs at the Baxter Studio from 8 to 30 May 2026, then transfers to The Market Theatre’s Mannie Manim from 5 to 28 June 2026.
Rise ’76: The Story of June 16th, is the latest work by acclaimed, two-time Fleur du Cap award-winning playwright and director, Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni. It draws on firsthand interviews and historical records to bring an intimate, human perspective to one of the most defining moments in South African history.
Rise ’76: The Story of June 16th transports audiences to Molefe Secondary, a fictional school in Soweto, during the tense weeks leading up to June 1976. As the mid-year exams loom, student leaders Bafana and Kedibone find themselves in a heated confrontation with their principal, Mr Alfie Ndlovu, over the forced implementation of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction.
The production captures the friction between the Department of Bantu Education, the South African Police and a generation of learners pushed to their breaking point. What begins as a localised academic dispute quickly evolves into a tragic turning point that would alter the course of the nation forever.
Smaller ripple effects
Rise ’76 is anchored by a stellar ensemble cast featuring Alex Sono, Ben Albertyn, Botlhale Mahlangu, Zilungile Mbombo, Mfuneli Ntumbuka, Sbuja Dywili and Deon Lotz. Bringing the atmosphere of 1976 to the stage is an expert creative team, which includes Leopold Senekal (set design), Noluthando “Texture” Lobese (costume design), Franky Steyn (lighting design), Xolelwa Nhlabatsi (AV design) and Jannous Nkululeko Aukema (sound design).
Playwright-director Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni developed the script by synthesising insights from over 40 individuals, working with archival records and literature to ground the fiction in harrowing reality.
Instead of focusing on the ‘heightened bigger picture’ story that we know from history textbooks about the Uprising, Mashifane wa Noni explains that she was interested in the smaller ripple effects. “To explore this, the play adopts a documentary style storytelling lens that zooms into the lesser-explored domestic moments – like listening in on a teaching staff meeting as they discover all the textbooks are in Afrikaans, catching a glimpse into a secret student logistics meeting or witnessing someone getting arrested before they could even take their morning bath.”
What: Rise ’76: The Story of June 16th
Where and when:
Cape Town: Baxter Studio from 8 to 30 May 2026
Joburg: The Market Theatre’s Mannie Manim from 5 to 28 June 2026
Tickets: Webtickets
WS
