Johannesburg. Lima Productions and the Market Theatre Laboratory, are proud to present Call of the Revolution’s Children, a bold and intimate solo theatre production written by Soweto-based playwright Lehlohonolo Shale and directed by Lab graduate Aalliyah Zama Matintela.

Set in a humble four-roomed house in Pimville, Soweto, the play follows Joni, a young man returning to his community to attend the unveiling of a tombstone for Phaphama, a fallen comrade and member of the Youth Movement. Through memory, song, and testimony, the narrative weaves together the lives of three young revolutionaries: Bokang, Phaphama, and Joni, whose ideals, loves, and sacrifices are shaped by the turbulent final years of apartheid and the fraught dawn of democracy.

In a remarkable feat of solo performance, all three principal characters are portrayed by a single actor. The production draws on the rich tradition of township storytelling, invoking the streets of Soweto, the music of resistance, and the enduring question of what becomes of those who gave everything to a revolution that outlived them.

Shale’s previous work includes Sefako le Sefako which played to sold out houses at the space.com during partial lockdown in the country. His latest play is a work of profound political and emotional honesty, a meditation on loyalty, betrayal, and the cost of principle in an age of compromise.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

Dates & Times

Friday, 8 May 2026  |  19:00

Saturday, 9 May 2026  |  19:00

Sunday, 10 May 2026  |  15:00

Venue

Ramolao Makhene Theatre

Market Theatre Square

Newtown, Johannesburg

Tickets

R120  General Admission

R100  Students & Pensioners

CREATIVE TEAM

Playwright: Lehlohonolo Shale

Director: Aalliyah Zama Matintela

Dramaturge: Themba Mkhoma