Breakfast with Mugabe, an award-winning play by Fraser Grace, takes us deep into the troubled mind of Robert Mugabe, once the revered leader of Zimbabwe, now a man haunted by his own demons and political paranoia. Set in the tense, shadowy corridors of the presidential palace, the play unfolds as a psychological thriller based on true events. As the country edges closer to unrest, Mugabe seeks help from an unexpected source - a white psychiatrist. What begins as a professional meeting soon escalates into a tense battle of wills, where power is weaponized, truth slips through the cracks, and the ghosts of history refuse to stay buried.
Directed by the 2025 Standard Bank Young Artist for Theatre, Calvin Ratladi, this work offers a critical look into the fractured psyche of a leader at war with his past.
Following its premiere at the National Arts Festival, Breakfast with Mugabe is set to take the stage at The Market Theatre for a limited season from 17 July to 10 August 2025. Don’t miss the chance to experience this haunting drama that brings to life the complex and unsettling world of Zimbabwe’s former leader, Robert Mugabe.
Production Credits
A National Arts Festival, The Market Theatre, and Festival Enterprise Catalyst (FEC) co-production, in association with the Calvin Ratladi Foundation.
About the Artists
Calvin Ratladi is a trailblazing South African artist whose interdisciplinary vision defies convention and redefines the boundaries of performance. Working fluidly across theatre, film, visual art, and installation, Ratladi brings an unapologetically expansive approach to storytelling — one that is immersive, experimental, and deeply rooted in socio-political inquiry.
A SAFTA-winning creative force, Ratladi’s work has garnered critical acclaim both locally and internationally. He is a recipient of multiple Ovation Awards at the National Arts Festival, where his bold, genre-bending productions have challenged traditional forms and created space for new modes of engagement. His theatre is not just something to watch — it is something to experience, often collapsing the distance between audience and performer, stage and world.
Internationally, Ratladi has taken South African narratives to the global stage, with invitations to present his work at festivals in Germany and Luxembourg. These platforms have affirmed his voice as a vital part of the contemporary performance conversation — one that bridges continents while remaining uncompromisingly rooted in African context and critique.
Ratladi’s practice is marked by a fearless embrace of hybridity. Whether directing a live performance, creating immersive installations, or developing cross-cultural collaborations, he consistently pushes the language of theatre into bold, uncharted dimensions. At the core of his work is a commitment to transformation — of space, form, and perception.
With each new project, Calvin Ratladi continues to carve a singular path in the arts, one that challenges, provokes, and reimagines what performance can be in the 21st century.
- Venue: Rhodes Theatre
- Location: Rhodes Theatre
- Ticket price: ZAR 150.00
- Programme type: Curated Programme
- Genre: Theatre
- Duration: 90 minutes
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Ages:
12+
