An acclaimed South African theatrical production, “Samson”, has been announced as one of six winners of this year’s World Music Theatre NOW, competition.
The producers, Third World Bunfight, say they are happy to have been chosen from over 150 new opera and music theatre works from more than 30 countries produced globally over the past three years.
The show was written, directed and designed by Brett Bailey and features a star-studded Cape Town cast.
The ritualistic music theatre work is set against the background of the African continent and other developing nations after colonialism.
According to Quaternaire, Samson uproots the popular biblical myth from its religious context and transplants it into a dystopian contemporary landscape of unbridled capitalism, human displacement, xenophobia and violence.
It asks us to reflect on the historical injustices and repressed rage that so often underlie the ruthless acts of terror committed by marginalized, alienated men.
The play premiered in 2020 and was awarded Best Music Theatre Production and Best Director and nominated for Best Production, Best Design and Best Costumes at South Africa’s national theatre awards, the Kyknet Fiestas the same year.
