Johannesburg's Market Theatre Celebrates 50 Years Strong

A theatre that opened its doors during one of South Africa's darkest moments is now celebrating 50 years of bringing people together through the power of storytelling.

Johannesburg's Market Theatre launched in June 1976, just three days after the Soweto uprising began. Founded by theatre visionaries Barney Simon and Mannie Manim, it became South Africa's first non-racial, unrestricted performance space when virtually every other venue was segregated under apartheid.

The pair transformed an old Indian Fruit Market building in Newtown into something revolutionary. Their plan faced skepticism, but Johannesburg's city officials surprised everyone by approving the project over competing bids.

Opening night featured Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull," with Simon later recalling the surreal experience of actors climbing trees to create curtain poles while helicopters flew overhead toward the townships. "The agony of doing Chekhov in such circumstances was more than I could bear," he remembered.

The timing proved fortuitous in an unexpected way. The building sat on land zoned for light industrial use rather than any specific race, allowing the theatre to operate as a truly open space in apartheid South Africa.

Within two years, the Market Theatre became an international force for change. Productions toured globally, delivering powerful critiques of apartheid's injustices while showcasing South African talent and stories that had been silenced.

The Ripple Effect

Today, artistic director Greg Homann is leading the 50th anniversary celebration with a season that honors the past while embracing the future. The year kicked off with "Marabi," set in 1930s Johannesburg, followed by the Tony-nominated musical "Blues in the Night" from Memphis.

June will feature a birthday celebration highlighting memorable moments from the theatre's most significant plays. New works are coming too, including a climate change adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People" set in KwaZulu-Natal.

Homann promises the theatre will continue leaning into its legacy of being on the right side of history while ensuring every production entertains and engages modern audiences. Festivals for younger playwrights will help nurture the next generation of storytellers.

The Market Theatre survived both apartheid's terrors and downtown Johannesburg's shifting fortunes. Now it stands as living proof that spaces built on courage and creativity can transform communities for decades to come.