Carlo Daniels, Tamzim Daniels, Nolefefe Ntshuntshu, Lyle October, Awethu Hleli, Lwanda Sindaphi, and Nirel Sithole. Photo: Fiona MacPherson.

Aaron Posner’s tragi-comedy, Stupid Fucking Bird – a bold and darkly funny reimagining of Chekhov’s The Seagull – directed by Maria Weisby, flies onto the Baxter Studio stage, on until 2 May 2026 at 20:00, with Saturday matinees at 14:30.

Swedish director, Weisby, returns to South Africa to direct the play which deals with the timeless obsession with fame, love and the search for meaning of human beings. It blends comedy and heartbreak, as it reveals how fame seduces, how love confuses and how far humans will go to feel seen and valued, making it relevant for today’s contemporary world. It’s a story about ambition, connection and the universal need to be loved.

The vibrant cast is consists of The Baxter’s Fires Burning Company, with Awethu Hleli, Carlo Daniels, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe, Lyle October and Tamzin Daniels (all seen in Othello, Neighbourhood and Metamorpheses), along with Lwanda Sindaphi (Purpose, An Apprenticeship with Sorrow, Droomwerk) and Nirel Sithole (Miscellaneous, Go Africa, Intimate Apparel).

Anathi Godlo is assistant director, with set and costume design is by Kieran McGregor (Colleen The Musical, The Firebird and Pretty Woman The Musical), lighting design by Franky Steyn (Colleen The Musical, Metamorphes, Hold Still) and music and sound composition by Jannous Aukema (Metamorphoses, Neighbourhood, A Howl in Makhanda).

At its heart, the play explores the fierce clash between commercial theatre – fuelled by celebrity culture and entertainment – and a newer, urgent theatre that wants to challenge, provoke and ignite change.

Con, a passionate young playwright, is tormented by his famous actress mother, Emma, whose lover, the celebrated author Trigorin, becomes the object of desire for Con’s girlfriend, Nina. Around them circles a web of longing: Dev pines for Mash; Mash aches for Con; and Dr Sorn, Emma’s gentle brother, simply wishes for a moment of human warmth. Everyone wants something – or someone – they can’t have.

What unfolds is a darkly comedic and painfully relatable portrait of people desperate to be seen, loved and fulfilled, directed by Swedish director, Maria Weisby. Fame seduces, corrupts and confuses; love slips through fingers; art becomes a battleground for ego, hope and meaning.

Though written many years ago, the themes pulse with a striking modernity. ”This is a story about the cost of ambition, the hunger for connection and the universal desire to love and be loved in return,” says Weisby. ”Simply put,” she continues, ” “This play is about fame and love and how much we are prepared to sacrifice for it. It’s about the conflict between ancient and modern art and how desperate we humans can be and how we are chasing to be fulfilled at any cost.”

Maria Weisby is the former artistic director of the Scenkonst Sörmland Theatre in Sweden. In South Africa she has collaborated with The Market Theatre Laboratory in Johannesburg. She also initiated a three-year collaboration with The Baxter, between 2013 and 2016, focusing on original music and dance, based on various themes. Works that she has directed include Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Viginia Woolf’s Orlando and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Aaron Posner is an award-winning director and playwright. He is a founder and former Artistic Director of Philadelphia’s Arden Theatre and the former Artistic Director of Two River Theater Company. His adaptations include Chaim Potok’s The Chosen and My Name is Asher Lev (both of which have enjoyed successful runs at more than 50 theatres across the country and the latter of which ran for ten months Off-Broadway and won both the Outer Circle Critics Award for Best New Off-Broadway play and the John Gassner Award. His Chekhov inspired Stupid Fucking Bird has won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Resident Play, as well as the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Play or Musical.

Stupid Fucking Bird runs at the Baxter Studio for a limited season from 9 April to 2 May 2026 and booking is through Webtickets online or at Pick n Pay stores. There is an age restriction of 16 years.

For further media enquiries or interview request, please contact Shireen Fisher on e-mail at shireen.fisher@uct.ac.za or call her on 021 680 3963 or Fahiem Stellenboom on e-mail fahiem.stellenboom@uct.ac.za or call 021 680 3971.

Fahiem Stellenboom
fahiem.stellenboom@uct.ac.za
072 265 6023
Baxter Theatre Centre
http://www.baxter.co.za