The KKNK (Klein Karoo National Arts Festival) is gearing up for a full-on celebration of three decades of South African arts and culture in Oudtshoorn, from Saturday 28 March to Saturday 4 April 2026. From new works to award-winning plays and scripts from other festivals and theatres across the country, to emerging artists and industry stalwarts, the festival’s multi-disciplinary programme boasts theatre, music, dance, visual arts, lifestyle and much more for the whole family. Find the full programme and tickets online at kknk.co.za or contact 044 203 8600 or info@kunste.org.za for more information. Below are the showtimes of the FEC supported productions.
BOESMAN EN LENA
With Veronique Jephtas, Brendon Daniels, Tshamano Sebe | Directed by Christo Davids
Boesman and Lena, Athol Fugard’s iconic play, showcases two homeless outcasts who are exposed to each other and engulfed in a political system that disregards them. It is a compelling exploration of the complexities of love, relationships, and social injustice. It is also a celebration of the power and resilience of the human spirit, and our universal need for hope, compassion, and human understanding. A fitting tribute to South Africa’s greatest playwright, who passed away earlier this year.
28 Mar 26 14:00 Van Reede School Hall (High Street)
29 Mar 26 14:00 Van Reede School Hall (High Street)
30 Mar 26 10:00 Van Reede School Hall (High Street)
31 Mar 26 13:30 Van Reede School Hall (High Street)
01 Apr 26 13:30 Van Reede School Hall (High Street)
For more information: https://kknk2026.kknk.co.za/toneel/boesman-en-lena/
Ticket Bookings: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1582291530
CRYBABY
with Frank Opperman, Nicole Holm, Wian Taljaard and René Cloete | Script & Directed by Carla Smith
On an ordinary morning, at an ordinary daycare, three-year-old Samuel experiences the unspeakable destroyer of innocence – the news. He changes in the blink of an eye: From a blissful child to a weary adult, decades aged by dire headlines, tragic events and the fate of humanity that is hopelessly too heavy for his new shoulders to bear.
CRYBABY is an absurd tragicomedy that deals with the toll it takes to live in a money-hungry world where everything is collapsing. It is at once a love letter to one’s childhood and an indelible reminder of the one truth every adult knows: Growing up is not child’s play.
30 Mar 26 11:00 Johnny Bisschoff Hall (High Street)
31 Mar 26 15:00 Johnny Bisschoff Hall (High Street)
01 Apr 26 16:00 Johnny Bisschoff Hall (High Street)
02 Apr 26 14:30 Johnny Bisschoff Hall (High Street)
03 Apr 26 14:30 Johnny Bisschoff Hall (High Street)
04 Apr 26 14:30 Johnny Bisschoff Hall (High Street)
04 Apr 26 18:00 Johnny Bisschoff Hall (High Street)
For more information: https://kknk2026.kknk.co.za/toneel/crybaby/
Ticket Bookings: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1583654412
KOMPOUN
with Melissa de Vries and Angelo Bergh | Script: Jolyn Phillips, based on Ronelda Kamfer’s novel of the same name | Directed by Lee-Ann van Rooi
In the theatre adaptation of Ronelda Kamfer’s novel, the poignant story is narrated by two grandchildren of the Mckinney family, Nadia and Zavie, and explores themes of innocence, resilience and familial struggles within a harsh South African context. Staged in a circle, the farm gate gives us direct access to both the internal and external factors affecting the lives of the characters, and their opportunities for breaking free from the chaos of their existence. Personal experiences are intertwined with cultural nuances, showcasing the beauty and complexity of the Afrikaans language
02 Apr 26 10:00 Laerskool Wesbank-teater (Vredestraat)
03 Apr 26 16:30 Laerskool Wesbank-teater (Vredestraat)
04 Apr 26 13:30 Laerskool Wesbank-teater (Vredestraat)
For more information: https://kknk2026.kknk.co.za/toneel/kompoun/
Ticket Bookings: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1583589905
LEMOENE, LEMOENE, LEMOENE, LEMOENE, LEMOENE
with Mienke Ehlers and Dean John Smith | Script: Sam Steiner | Directed by Kanya Viljoen
In a South Africa where people are only allowed to use 140 words a day, two young lovers must learn to live with silence, and fight with words. How do you say “I love you” when language itself has become dangerous? This moving piece explores what love, freedom and the power of one’s voice mean within limits.
28 Mar 26 11:00 Gymnasium (Scheepers Street)
29 Mar 26 13:30 Gymnasium (Scheepers Street)
02 Apr 26 18:00 Gymnasium (Scheepers Street)
03 Apr 26 14:00 Gymnasium (Scheepers Street)
04 Apr 26 13:00 Gymnasium (Scheepers Street)
For more information: https://kknk2026.kknk.co.za/toneel/lemoene-lemoene-lemoene-lemoene-lemoene/
Ticket Bookings: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1583591923
VERWELKINGSLIED
with Antoinette Kellermann and Dawid Minnaar | Script: Breyten Breytenbach | Directed by Marí Borstlap
In Breytenbach’s last play, we are taken on a journey by the master, who imagines himself at his own funeral. Breyten enters into a consciousness-expanding and intimate conversation with an elderly stage actress. For one last time, he attempts to balance the score – leaving the old actress with the daunting task of paying homage by performing his final words … Verwelkingslied is Breyten Breytenbach’s moving swan song, written for Suidoosterfees shortly before his death in 2024, and dedicated to Antoinette Kellermann and Marthinus Basson.
30 Mar 26 11:00 Gimsaal (Scheepersstraat)
01 Apr 26 18:00 Gimsaal (Scheepersstraat)
03 Apr 26 9:30 Gimsaal (Scheepersstraat)
04 Apr 26 17:30 Gimsaal (Scheepersstraat)
For more information: https://kknk2026.kknk.co.za/toneel/verwelkingslied/
Ticket Bookings: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1583594068
