Macbeth lands at Maynardville Open-Air Theatre from 5 February-13 March 2027 in all its fury, power and deceit. One of Shakespeare's darkest and most intriguing plays will be staged under the directorship of award-winning director, Lesedi Job, who reimagines Shakespeare's tragedy in a post-apocalyptic world, where survival, loyalty and ambition collide. Nat Ramabulana has been cast in the lead role of Macbeth and Lizelle Pike as Lady Macbeth.
This is the 71st edition of the annual festival that returns to honour and reimagine the classics across theatre, music and dance.
Lesedi Job is one of South Africa's most acclaimed theatre directors. She won a Naledi Award for Best Director for her debut, When Swallows Cry, and is a recipient of the Sophie Mgcina Emerging Voice Award and the Mbokodo Award for Theatre. Known for an emotionally intelligent lens that exposes the truth of the human condition, Job explains that Macbeth requires intense emotional commitment and that was one of her guiding principles during casting. “I will be staying true to Shakespeare's text, because it holds the story so well, while reimagining its world. Our Macbeth is set in Southland, a post-apocalyptic society rebuilt after a great collapse. Together with the cast, we'll shape its conventions, values and ways of being, discovering how Shakespeare's story can speak to audiences in 2027.”
Job leads a formidable cast of well-known stage and screen performers. Nat Ramabulana, a Naledi and SAFTA winner known from Blood Diamond, The Bang Bang Club and Netflix's Fatal Seduction, plays Macbeth, opposite Silwerskerm Award-winning actress, Lizelle Pike, as Lady Macbeth. They are joined by André Lötter, familiar as Rickus Welman on 7de Laan, Francis Chouler from The Crown and Fleur du Cap Best Actor winner Brent Palmer.
Several members of the company are returning to the Maynardville stage. Jock Kleynhans plays Malcolm after playing Demetrius in Midsummer Nights Dream, in 2023, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, 2024 and, most recently, Orsino in 2026's Twelfth Night. He's joined by Thulani Nzonzo, who appeared in the 2024 Romeo and Juliet. Mateo Komlosy makes his Maynardville debut as Donalbain. The ensemble also includes Anna Olivier who won the Naledi for Best Choreography and Natalie Robbie who won a Naledi for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, both for Spring Awakening. The company is completed by Katlego Chale, Kensiwe Tshabalala, Tamzin Daniels, Katlego Lebogang and Jake Maisel.
Job's creative team includes set designer Nadine Minnaar, costume designer Ntokozo Fuzunina Kunene and lighting designer, Oliver Hauser. Sound designer, David Classen and Composer, Wessel Odendaal, complete the creative team.
The Maynardville Open-Air Festival returns to the Maynardville Park in Wynberg Village, Cape Town, running from 13 January to 14 March 2027. And as always - LOTS to look forward to at Maynardville!
WHAT: Macbeth at Maynardville Open-Air Festival 2027
WHERE: Maynardville Park, corner Piers Rd & Church St, Wynberg Village, Cape Town 7800
WHEN: Open-Air Theatre from 5 February-13 March 2027
BOOKING: Quicket
INFO: Maynardville Open-Air Festival VISIT l see full Programme | see also MapMyWay
PHOTO: Lizelle Pike as Lady Macbeth and Nat (Nathaniel) Ramabulana as Macbeth
