Sophie Joans

For Sophie Joans, 28, theatre is more than entertainment — it’s a force for empathy, catharsis and connection. As the founder of Spark in the Dark Theatre, Sophie champions local storytelling. In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, she launched Spark in the Dark as a form of “guerrilla theatre” to keep the arts alive. Since then, it’s grown to producing plays, hosting clowning and writing workshops, and employing more than 40 performers through National Arts Council, Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme funding. In 2024, the collective took 14 original works to the National Arts Festival in Makhanda. Sophie is also the writer and performer of ÎLE, a solo play exploring her Mauritian heritage. Directed by Rob van Vuuren, the show won the Standard Bank Ovation Award, was nominated at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and toured internationally. Outside of her company, she mentors teens through the Observatory Youth Theatre, staging plays and nurturing new talent from across Cape Town’s diverse communities. Sophie believes live theatre is AI-proof: an art form that cultivates empathy and cannot be replaced by algorithms. She urges policymakers to invest in arts education.

• Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Performance, University of Cape Town (*incomplete)

My theatre debut came with the first solo show, ÎLE, in 2022, directed by Rob van Vuuren. The experience offered invaluable insight into the demands of creating a play — from the time and theatrical devices required to hold an audience’s attention as a solo performer, to the personal investment of sharing a deeply individual story. The show won a Gold Standard Bank Ovation Award that year and went on to tour South Africa, including performances at Woordfees, Hilton Arts Festival, Baxter Theatre (Cape Town), Theatre on the Square (Johannesburg) and Point Waterfront Festival (Durban). Internationally, ÎLE won Best Script at Bitesize Festival in London and was one of five nominees for the Philipa Bragança Award for Best Solo Female Performer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, out of more than 3,800 shows. The process offered a valuable education in marketing a show, applying to festivals, touring, travelling and building a financially sustainable theatre career. The inspiration for ÎLE, a play exploring themes of motherhood and Mauritian heritage, came after watching a production in Makhanda at age 16 — an experience that sparked the desire to pursue theatre. 

A proud milestone came in 2024, when invited to perform at Mauritius’s largest venue, the Caudan Arts Centre. Producing, writing, performing and touring the play reinforced several lessons: that autobiographical theatre offers powerful shared catharsis; that meaningful theatre does not require large budgets, elaborate costumes or dazzling effects. With just two boxes, one sound cue and minimal lighting, the production demonstrated that in a world of constant digital consumption, live, authentic storytelling remains intimate, empowering and sacred for both performers and audiences. Many artists believe success hinges on reaching Broadway or major stages, yet this play proved otherwise. True success lies in the connection with audiences — and sometimes, offering catharsis to even one person can be world-changing.

• Rob van Vuuren, director of my first play and someone whose career was aspirational from an early stage. He offered invaluable insight into theatre and comedy — both the art of performing and the behind-the-scenes realities of managing an artistic career.
• Jon Keevy, my first employer, ran The Alexander Bar and Theatre — a key hub for independent Fringe theatre in Cape Town before Covid-19. A master of producing and attracting audiences, as well as a brilliant writer, his work left a lasting impact. My introduction to the theatre industry began at The Alexander as front-of-house staff, providing first-hand exposure to the power of spaces that foster connection and creativity.
• Stuart Palmer, my first drama teacher, now leads Lunchbox Theatre in Plettenberg Bay. His company provides theatre-based employment for young women in the community and produces plays performed for over 500 children from Qolweni Township each December holiday — bringing entertainment and inspiration to the next generation.