IN CONVERSATION WITH MATHABO TLADI
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The Market Theatre Laboratory is set to host the next instalment of its Theatre Think Tank series, shining a spotlight on women as active participants in live theatre.
Titled Her Lens: Provocations from the Female Audience, the free event takes place on Sunday, 24 August 2025, at 2pm in the Ramolao Makhene Theatre at Market Square, Newtown. It will be curated by conversationalist, podcaster, and content creator Mathabo Tlali.
Exploring Women’s Place in Theatre
Coinciding with Women’s Month, this edition will explore how women are represented on stage—and how they, as audience members, engage with theatre. By combining multimedia and talk show elements, the Think Tank seeks to move beyond traditional portrayals of women as muses or side characters, centering instead their gaze, reactions, and agency as audiences.
Curator Mathabo Tlali explains:
“If art is a mirror, this conversation turns it toward the audience and asks: What do you see—and what do you wish we’d notice? This is an invitation to those who mould women through their craft to sit, assess, and reflect on the sociological and psychological implications of our creative work.”
Tlali, founder of Zazi Creative, works at the intersection of performance, audience engagement, corporate collaboration, and civil society. Through her podcast You Need Art & Art Needs You, her stage work, and creative campaigns, she uses storytelling to build bridges and spark dialogue within the African creative industry.
A Bold Conversation on Representation
According to Cherae Halley, Head of the Market Theatre Laboratory, the Think Tank will probe whether theatre has truly succeeded in reflecting women’s lives.
“It shifts the focus from the theatre practitioner to the theatre consumer—specifically the female consumer,” Halley says. “It asks: How do women see themselves reflected in theatre and popular culture? What is echoed back to them, what is celebrated, erased, or embraced? And as artists, can we match our desire to reflect womanhood with a willingness to embrace the complex impact of our portrayals?”
Halley adds that the Theatre Think Tank series is an important space for reflection and knowledge-sharing within the arts, culture, and heritage fields, drawing on the insights of both practitioners and communities.
Event Details
Her Lens: Provocations from the Female Audience invites theatre-makers, audiences, and anyone curious about the arts to join in commemorating Women’s Month through dialogue, reflection, and cultural exchange.
📅 Date: Sunday, 24 August 2025
🕑 Time: 2pm
📍 Venue: Ramolao Makhene Theatre, Market Square, Newtown
🎟️ Tickets: Free, but booking is essential via Webtickets (limited seating).
________________________________________
📌 The Market Theatre Laboratory is a division of The Market Theatre Foundation, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture.
Titled Her Lens: Provocations from the Female Audience, the free event takes place on Sunday, 24 August 2025, at 2pm in the Ramolao Makhene Theatre at Market Square, Newtown. It will be curated by conversationalist, podcaster, and content creator Mathabo Tlali.
Exploring Women’s Place in Theatre
Coinciding with Women’s Month, this edition will explore how women are represented on stage—and how they, as audience members, engage with theatre. By combining multimedia and talk show elements, the Think Tank seeks to move beyond traditional portrayals of women as muses or side characters, centering instead their gaze, reactions, and agency as audiences.
Curator Mathabo Tlali explains:
“If art is a mirror, this conversation turns it toward the audience and asks: What do you see—and what do you wish we’d notice? This is an invitation to those who mould women through their craft to sit, assess, and reflect on the sociological and psychological implications of our creative work.”
Tlali, founder of Zazi Creative, works at the intersection of performance, audience engagement, corporate collaboration, and civil society. Through her podcast You Need Art & Art Needs You, her stage work, and creative campaigns, she uses storytelling to build bridges and spark dialogue within the African creative industry.
A Bold Conversation on Representation
According to Cherae Halley, Head of the Market Theatre Laboratory, the Think Tank will probe whether theatre has truly succeeded in reflecting women’s lives.
“It shifts the focus from the theatre practitioner to the theatre consumer—specifically the female consumer,” Halley says. “It asks: How do women see themselves reflected in theatre and popular culture? What is echoed back to them, what is celebrated, erased, or embraced? And as artists, can we match our desire to reflect womanhood with a willingness to embrace the complex impact of our portrayals?”
Halley adds that the Theatre Think Tank series is an important space for reflection and knowledge-sharing within the arts, culture, and heritage fields, drawing on the insights of both practitioners and communities.
Event Details
Her Lens: Provocations from the Female Audience invites theatre-makers, audiences, and anyone curious about the arts to join in commemorating Women’s Month through dialogue, reflection, and cultural exchange.
📅 Date: Sunday, 24 August 2025
🕑 Time: 2pm
📍 Venue: Ramolao Makhene Theatre, Market Square, Newtown
🎟️ Tickets: Free, but booking is essential via Webtickets (limited seating).
________________________________________
📌 The Market Theatre Laboratory is a division of The Market Theatre Foundation, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture.
