IMPRISONED: BEHIND THE BARS, A LIFE UNRAVELS

A promising career. A loving marriage. A future filled with possibility. What happens when the life you have built becomes a story you can no longer recognise?

The South African State Theatre, in association with Lekwetji Foundation, presents Imprisoned, a compelling exploration of identity, trauma and the unseen prisons people carry within themselves. Written and directed by Charlotte Mokoka, with musical direction by Lesego Montsho, the production comes to the Sibusiso Khwinana Theatre on 12 and 13 December 2026.

At the centre of the story is a 27-year-old psychologist whose seemingly perfect life is violently disrupted. What begins as a dream fulfilled unravels into a nightmare, leaving her confined within physical walls and the depths of her own mind.

As she confronts the harsh realities of confinement, buried truths and fractured memories begin to surface. The choices that brought her here demand examination, while the distinction between victim and perpetrator becomes increasingly uncertain. Is she guilty, or caught in circumstances beyond her control?

Imprisoned invites audiences into this unsettling space, where appearances offer little certainty and every revelation raises another question. Moving through vulnerability, resilience and psychological tension, the production examines how quickly a life can change, and how difficult it can be to understand another person’s story from the outside.

Its central provocation, “Never say never”, challenges the comfortable distance between those who judge and those who stand accused. Behind the bars is a human being with a history, a voice and a life that cannot be reduced to a verdict.

For audiences drawn to theatre that sparks conversation, Imprisoned offers an encounter with questions that reach beyond the prison cell: What do we believe? Whom do we trust? And how much of another person’s truth can we ever truly know?

Step inside the story. Look beyond the bars.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

Production: Imprisoned

Venue: Sibusiso Khwinana Theatre, South African State Theatre, Pretoria

Dates and times: 12 December 2026 at 15:00 and 13 December 2026 at 12:00

Tickets: R40

Age restriction: 18

Bookings: Webtickets or at Pick n Pay

Written and directed by Charlotte Mokoka Musical direction by Lesego Montsho

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E-mail: bongani@statetheatre.co.za
Cell: 072 700 6030

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