Artscape Theatre, in conjunction with the Suidoosterfees and the City of Cape Town, presents this bra’s a psycho – a psychological crime thriller and cat-and-mouse tale tackling the themes of male sexual assault, hook-up culture, and online dating. The production runs from Tuesday, 29 July 2025 to Saturday, 2 August 2025.
Fresh off the success of Please, don’t call me moffie, this gripping two-hander, written and directed by Zubayr Charles, a UCT Master’s in Creative Writing graduate, makes its debut at this year’s Women’s Humanity Festival – following its pitch and staged reading at the 2024 Artscape New Voices Programme.
The narrative follows THE BRA, who, after waking up in an unknown warehouse, must face the brutal aftermath of sexual assault. In his search for love and healing through dating apps, things take a dark turn – ending him becoming a serial killer and partaking in a chilling killing spree. But someone is watching … and justice is coming.
Explores universal themes and moments
Cape Town-based actors James Stoffberg and Anzio September, both UCT Theatre and Performance graduates, bring this intense thriller to life. Stoffberg portrays the unravelling psyche of a serial killer, whilst September seamlessly flows and embodies both the policeman investigating the murders and THE BRA’s various victims – amplifying the two-hander’s cat-and-mouse dynamic.
“Initially, I wanted to tackle the classic rape-revenge genre by giving it a unique Capetonian, male, and queer twist,” reveals Charles. “Despite it being a thriller, this bra’s a psycho explores universal themes and moments that many people will find relatable. Last year, I was hesitant about the subject matter, worried it might be deemed too risqué, especially with the serial killer aspect and the commentary and depiction of queer hook-up culture. But I realised that the crime thriller genre is hugely popular on various streaming platforms — so why shouldn’t we invest in telling our own local stories? South Africa has so much talent, and it’s time to showcase it. I hope we will get to see more local crime and thriller narratives on our stages and tv screens.”
What: this bra’s a psycho
Where and when: Artscape from 29 July to 2 August 2025
Tickets: Webtickets
WS
