Jo'burg theatre picks: January 13 2012

The two-man ensemble theatre piece Woza Albert! is a classic of the South African stage.

Written by the late Barney Simon, in collaboration with performers Percy Mtwa and Mbongeni Ngema, it is considered one of finest examples of anti-apartheid art.

It opened at the Market Theatre in 1981 and this week celebrates its third decade on the boards with a production starring Mncedisi Baldwin Shabangu and Hamilton Ntokozo Dlamini, two seasoned actors who, like the play, started their careers in Newtown. The satire depicts a moment when Christ returns to apartheid South Africa and questions the outcome of the cathartic but hypothetical occurrence. It is directed by Prince Lamla.

Barney Simon Theatre, Market Theatre Complex, Newtown, until February 5. Performances are from Tuesdays to Saturdays at 8.15pm and on Sundays at 3.15pm. Tel: 011 832 1641.

■ Since 1952, The Mousetrap, Agatha Christie’s classic whodunit and the world’s longest-running play, has entertained an estimated 10-million people. This year, just before its 60th anniversary, Pieter Toerien returns to a festive Christie tradition with a stellar all-South African cast, including Clare Marshall, Ashley Dowds, Robert Fridjhon, Bronwyn Leigh Gottwald, Matthew Lotter, Clyde Berning and Sarah Richard.

A snow-bound group of visitors is trapped in a guesthouse with a murderer in their midst. He or she has already killed—and then strikes again. The tension is razor-sharp: everyone is under suspicion, everyone a potential victim. One by one the characters reveal their sordid pasts. But who will be next and who is the killer? The play is directed by Alan Swerdlow.

Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre from January 18. Performances are from Wednesdays to Fridays at 8pm, on Saturdays at 5pm and 8pm and on Sundays at 3pm. Book at Computicket. Tel: 011 511 1818.