View noticesRwandan-German theatre production explores the weight of unspoken truths
An acclaimed international theatre production examining how silence shapes families and communities across generations is set to make its Johannesburg debut at the Market Theatre from 1 to 3 September.
“Talking About Silence” forms part of the Cradle of Creativity Festival, presented by ASSITEJ South Africa and running from 31 August to 6 September 2026, with support from the Goethe-Institut.
The production is the result of a collaboration between Ishyo Arts Centre in Kigali, Rwanda, and HELIOS Theatre in Hamm, Germany, bringing together a cast of six performers to explore themes of secrecy, discrimination, grief, conflict and healing.
The show grew out of more than a year of joint creative work between the two countries, during which the collaborators examined how Rwanda's and Germany's distinct historical experiences continue to influence people's lives today.
Their discussions repeatedly returned to inherited trauma, family taboos, and the choices people make about what to share and what to keep hidden. The resulting production considers silence as something with two faces: capable of offering protection, but equally capable of isolating people or causing lasting harm.
Some unspoken rules may serve a genuine protective purpose, the production suggests, while others function instead as tools of control or exclusion.
The cast features Carole Karemera, Noemie Ntahonkiriye, Inkindi Muyango, Minju Kim, Tamara Hermanns and Michael Lurse, with Karemera and Germany's Barbara Kölling sharing directing and production duties. Steffen Moor wrote the script, Lurse designed the set, and Malte Kochanek serves as technical director.
Beyond its performances, the visiting company will also run professional workshops for South African theatre-makers, focused on how the medium can be used to engage with difficult social subject matter — part of a broader push by the festival towards skills development and international artistic exchange.
The production runs for 60 minutes and is recommended for audiences aged 14 and over.
Performance times:
Tuesday 1 September, 19:30. Wednesday 2 September, 14:30. Thursday 3 September, 16:30.