Exciting season of two plays from award winning writer Gavin Werner in Cape Town this April
An exciting Season of two plays from award winning playwright Gavin Werner comes to The Masque next month. Between Us Productions presents the premiere run of Werner’s latest production, Meeting Murphy, as well as his acclaimed play Spanish Steps. The two shows will run concurrently from 8 to 18 April.
Meeting Murphy is a new, wickedly comic drama about revenge, redemption, and the wounds we never outgrow.
Written by Gavin Werner in collaboration with Dianne Simpson, the play is directed by Gavin Werner and features the talented duo Brent Palmer (King George; Bench) as Dave; and Chris Van Rensburg (Kelders van Geheime; Die Nuusmakers) as Rick.
Set on a remote hiking trail, Meeting Murphy follows a middle-aged man who comes face to face with his teenage bully. What unfolds is a gripping, darkly funny confrontation that interrogates masculinity, memory, and the lasting scars of schoolyard cruelty, while challenging easy narratives of victim and perpetrator, revenge and reconciliation and nature vs. nurture.
Lighting Design for the production is by Frans Zunguze and the Script Editor is Dianne Simpson.
Gavin Werner says:
“We live in a time of crisis around masculinity, often expressed through behaviours labelled toxic masculinity. Much has been said about its consequences, yet we rarely ask why it exists, or do so with compassion.”
Having been both a victim and, at times, a perpetrator of bullying at a boys-only boarding school, I still find myself, even in my mid-fifties, triggered by events that happened four decades ago. I wrote Meeting Murphy to explore the inner worlds of both victim and perpetrator, and the fragile possibilities of making peace with the past.”
At a recent preview, renown actor Adrian Galley commented about the play:
“What is most striking is the elegance with which the production honours the classical unities. Time, place, and action converge with remarkable discipline, allowing a richly layered narrative to emerge from an apparently simple premise… a psychological duel in which roles of victim and aggressor continually exchange masks….a gripping, intelligent, and deeply human work.”
Spanish Steps is Werner’s WGSA Award Winning play starring himself alongside powerhouse performer Dianne Simpson (The Sound of Music; Rose Red).
Directed by Caroline Midgley, this coming-of-middle-age comedy-drama won the WGSA Award Winner For Best Produced Script (2025) and was selected for the curated programme at the National Arts Festival in 2022.
Meet Barry and Maureen, who are trapped together in close quarters with nowhere to hide from each other – or themselves. As tempers flare and buttons are pushed, they become mirrors to one another’s blind spots in a sharp satire about the roles we play in society.
Funny, uncomfortable, and unexpectedly moving, this acclaimed play balances biting humour with genuine heart.
“Two unlikely companions. Trapped in a basement. Will it be catastrophe or epiphany?,” says Werner. “I’m delighted to be bringing this work to The Masque, performing in tandem with my latest play. Come, take in a production, enjoy The Masque’s drinks and snacks in between, before catching another performance – a great double bill of theatre!”
Show Information
Meeting Murphy and Spanish Steps
Venue:
The Masque Theatre
Dates & Times:
8 to 18 April 2026
Meeting Murphy
8, 9, 10, 17, 18 April at 20h00
11, 14, 15,16 April at 18h00
18 April at 16h00
Spanish Steps
11, 14, 15, 16 April at 20h00
8, 9, 10, 17, 18 April at 18h00
11 April at 16h00
Ticket Price:
From R180 (including VAT)
R300 to see both shows on the same evening
Bookings:
Bookings can be made via Quicket
Age Restriction:
No under 14s
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About The Masque
More than 60 years old, The Masque is an iconic venue in the Cape Town cultural landscape. A unique and historic space, it has been home to many amateur theatre societies over the years and was established by local attorney Bertie Stern with the objective of encouraging voluntary participation in all forms of theatre by all people.
Stern had a vision to provide a platform for both amateur and professional performers regardless of their social or political situation at that time. When The Masque opened, it was one of the only theatres in Cape Town that was open to people of all ethnic backgrounds.
A registered Non-Profit Organisation, The Masque strives to make theatre accessible to all – onstage, backstage and for the audience. Run by volunteers with a focus on community, the theatre showcases all genres of performance and is as widely inclusive as possible. The Masque is wheelchair friendly, has a fully licensed bar and snacks are available before shows and during intervals.
In 1993 Bertie bequeathed The Masque into trust for the benefit and growth of community theatre. The theatre was totally destroyed by fire in 1997 and it took two years to rebuild (thanks largely to the generosity of the late Joan St Leger-Lindbergh). The Theatre is still owned by the Stern Masque Theatre Trust and is managed by a board of volunteers.
At the helm of the operation is a team with professional theatre experience. Continuing its work into the post-Covid-19 era, The Masque seeks to present high-quality amateur theatre productions, providing a service of artistic engagement with the local community, celebrating diversity and building on the Theatre’s reputation as a sought-after professional venue-for-hire.
The Masque Box Office is open from 9am to 2pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Cash bar and simple snacks are available for sale at the Theatre.
