Adam’s Ale is a ritualistic theatre work rooted in African cosmology, exploring the origins of humanity through water, grief, and spiritual memory. The story follows Letswai, a young man returning from initiation, suspended between boyhood and manhood as he confronts the loss of his mother and the silence expected of him. Set within an abstract, symbolic landscape of salt, water, and buried bodies, the stage becomes both burial ground and birthplace, where prayers rise to the gods of water and voices call for balance and restoration.

BANELE YENGENI - Director

Banele Yengeni is a South African theatre director based in Johannesburg. He holds an Advanced Diploma in Performing Arts from Tshwane University of Technology, specialising in directing. His work includes Adam’s Ale, a ritualistic exploration of masculinity and grief,which is currently on tour, as well as Azra’s Fate, and Echoes of Ubuntu, both engaging with social themes and human connection. He previously worked as a dramaturge on Running For My Life, a cross-country collaboration between South Africa and Kenya, addressing gender-based violence and femicide. Yengeni creates bold, honest, and socially conscious theatre that challenges audiences and sparks meaningful conversation.

 

MXOLISI MASILELA 'THE GREAT' - Writer and Dramaturge

Mxolisi Masilela is a South African theatre maker, director, playwright, and cultural leader, and the founder and CEO of The TX Theatre. A Naledi Award-winning artist and Mail & Guardian Young 200 honouree, he is widely recognised for his bold, ritual-driven approach to contemporary performance. He trained at the Windybrow Theatre Performing Arts Centre and furthered his studies at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Australia. His work has been presented locally and internationally, with acclaimed productions including Medumo ya Borwa (Standard Bank Gold Ovation Award winner), These Are Not My Shoes, Exhibition, and Queen the Chosen Ones. Masilela’s practice merges African spirituality, movement, music, and text to interrogate identity, memory, and the human condition. Beyond directing, he is a committed mentor, having developed emerging artists and led initiatives such as the Kuwamba National Women’s Theatre Festival and Tembisa Theatre Week. His work spans theatre and television, including a role on Stash. Through his artistic leadership, Masilela continues to shape a new generation of African theatre and expand its global presence.