WeeklySA_AdminHISTORICAL: A gripping new theatrical production marking 50 years since the Soweto Uprising is set to take centre stage at The Market Theatre, blending historical fiction, lived memory and powerful storytelling to revisit one of South Africa’s defining moments…
By Jacob Mawela
A powerful new stage production commemorating the 50th anniversary of the June 16 1976 Soweto Student Uprising is set to captivate audiences at The Market Theatre next month.
RISE ’76: The Story of June 16th, a co-production between Johannesburg’s Market Theatre and Cape Town’s Baxter Theatre, brings one of South Africa’s most defining moments to the stage in a moving work of historical fiction written and directed by acclaimed playwright Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni.
The production will run at The Market Theatre’s Mannie Manim Theatre from June 5 to 28, forming part of both Youth Month commemorations and The Market Theatre’s own 50th anniversary celebrations.
Two special performances will take place on Youth Day, with the play also serving as a centrepiece of the theatre’s 50th birthday weekend from June 17 to 19.
Set in a fictional Soweto school, Molefe Secondary, RISE ’76 transports audiences to the tense days leading up to the uprising. As mid-year exams approach, student leaders Bafana Buthelezi and Kedibone Moloi confront their principal over the apartheid government’s decision to impose Afrikaans as a medium of instruction. What begins as a school dispute spirals into tragedy, laying bare the brutality of apartheid and the human cost of resistance.
The production stars Alex Sono, Zilungile Mbombo and Botlhale Mahlangu, alongside veteran performers Deon Lotz, Mfuneli Ntumbuka, Sbuja Dywili and Ben Albertyn.
Already praised following its Baxter Theatre debut in May, the production has earned glowing reviews for its emotional depth and historical sensitivity. Critics have described it as a haunting and deeply human portrayal of the uprising, with audiences commending both its storytelling and performances.
For The Market Theatre, the production carries special symbolic weight. The iconic venue first opened its doors just days after June 16, 1976, and quickly became a cultural force in resisting apartheid through fearless storytelling.
Five decades later, RISE ’76 reconnects the theatre’s own history with the broader liberation story of South Africa.
Artistic Director Greg Homann described the play as a deeply researched and compassionate production that enriches The Market Theatre’s long tradition of reflecting the South African experience through art.
Mashifane wa Noni said the script draws on first-hand interviews, archival material and existing literature, but deliberately focuses on the lesser-known human details often overlooked in history books.
Rather than retelling a familiar narrative from a single perspective, she said the play seeks to capture the many voices, contradictions and emotional ripples that shaped that historic day.
With tickets starting at R110, including discounted Youth Day, preview and school group offers, RISE ’76: The Story of June 16th promises to be one of the standout cultural events of South Africa’s June commemorations — a timely reminder of sacrifice, resilience and the enduring power of memory.
