Shows
Disney's The Lion King JR. The Pride Lands come alive: Bigger, bolder, and more breathtaking than ever.
South Africa’s most beloved children’s theatre production returns for its most spectacular season yet at National Children’s Theatre 03-19 July 2026.
Disney’s The Lion King JR. brings the magic of one of the world’s best-loved stories to the stage, with iconic songs, breathtaking choreography, and the raw, joyful talent of 70 extraordinary young performers aged 7 to 13 who bring the Pride Lands to life as the circle of life continues. Young Simba has big shoes, or rather, big paws, to fill. After the loss of his father Mufasa, he flees the Pride Lands, haunted by guilt and pursued by his scheming uncle Scar. But with the help of the irrepressible Timon and Pumbaa, and guided by the wisdom of those he loves, Simba discovers his true destiny.
Now in its third season, this year’s production is brand new: Newly directed, choreographed, and entirely reimagined. Whether it’s your first time or your third, this is the season not to miss.
Led by Artistic Director Ivor Jones and directed by Game Bovana, this all-new production is choreographed by Oscar Buthelezi, bringing fresh movement, energy, and vision to every scene. Alongside our cast of 70 performers, who are already rehearsing and pouring their hearts into this production, NCT is proud to welcome back the choir of Donaldson Primary School whose voices add a dimension of beauty and community that makes this production truly special.
This is National Children’s Theatre’s most ambitious production of The Lion King JR. to date, reimagined from the ground up, and performed exclusively at NCT. If you’ve seen it before, you haven’t seen it like this. Right here, in Parktown.
When: 03 – 19 July 2026 at 10:30 and 14:30
Where: NCT, 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown 2193
Ages: Families and Schools
Find Tickets: https://nctsa.io/BookTheLionKingJR
School Bookings: Call Nthabiseng Mmethi 011 484 1584 or nthabiseng@NCTheatreSA.org.za
AESOP'S FABLES
Some stories are too good to forget, and too important not to tell again. Aesop’s Fables returns to NCT’s stage in a vibrant new production that brings the world’s most beloved moral tales to life with local flavour, contemporary energy, and plenty of heart. Through bold storytelling, physical play, and infectious humour, this production reimagines the classics we grew up with: The Tortoise and the Hare, The Grasshopper and the Ant, The Lion and the Mouse, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and The Wind and the Sun for a new generation of young South African audiences.
Directed by Devon Flemmer, these enduring fables speak to something timeless in all of us: The rewards of honesty, the power of perseverance, the quiet strength of kindness, and the wisdom of thinking before we act.
Funny, fast-paced, and full of surprises, Aesop’s Fables is a 45-50-minute theatrical adventure families and schools will be talking about long after the curtain falls.
PRODUCTION DETAILS
When: 8 – 30 August 2026
Where: NCT, 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown, Johannesburg
Run Time: Approximately 45–50 minutes (no interval)
For4: Families and primary school learners (Ages 8–13)
Find Tickets: [ADD LINK]
School Bookings: Contact Nthabiseng Mmethi 
011 484 1584 
nthabiseng@NCTheatreSA.org.za
Disney's Dare to Dream JR
YOU ALREADY KNOW EVERY SONG
Hakuna Matata. Let It Go. Be Our Guest. When You Wish Upon a Star. Surface Pressure. You’ve Got a Friend in Me. Now imagine them performed live, on a professional Johannesburg stage, by fifteen dazzling young South African artists. Disney’s Dare to Dream JR. is a brand-new musical revue celebrating 100 years of Disney magic—featuring contemporary anthems from Encanto, Moana, Frozen and Coco alongside the timeless classics you grew up loving. Directed by the incomparable Ivor Jones, this is the show the whole family has been waiting for—even if you didn’t know it yet.
Disney’s Dare to Dream JR. runs from 29 September to 11 October 2026 at NCT, 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown. 60 minutes, no interval, suitable for all ages.
Only 30 performances. Families and schools, book your groups early. Don’t wait.”
Director: Ivor Jones
When: 29 September–11 October 2026
Where: NCT, 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown, Johannesburg
Find tickets: [LINK]
Schools: Call Nthabiseng Mmethi at 011 484 1584 or email nthabiseng@NCTheatreSA.org.za
Shakespeare's Macbeth & Romeo and Juliet at NCT
Co-Directed by Lucy Wylde and Devon Flemmer
MAKE HASTE. BOOK NOW FOR THIS ONE SHOW AT NCT: ONLY ON 18 APRIL 2026 at 09:30 and 11:30.
Our double bill is co-directed by Naledi-nominated Shakespeare expert Lucy Wylde and artist-educator Devon Flemmer, who combine deep understanding with innovative staging to ensure learners experience Shakespeare’s plays as living works of art that speak directly to their lives. From vaulting ambition and the corrupting pull of power in Macbeth, to first love caught in cycles of violence and division in Romeo and Juliet, both productions bring Shakespeare’s most urgent themes into sharp focus for today’s learners.
NCT’s professional cast gives these two classic tales a contemporary flair with bold performances, visceral storytelling, and the original language delivered with precision and power. Perfectly aligned with the English, Drama and Creative Arts curriculum, this double bill presents streamlined, high-impact versions of these renowned tragedies. Each production is punchy, accessible and dynamic, brining energy and relevance to Shakespeare’s texts.
Book now for this live theatre experience that’ll take your breath away. Tickets are limited!
When: 18 April at 09:30 for Romeo and Juliet and 11:30 for Macbeth
Where: NCT 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown 2193 Johannesburg
Ages: Everyone who loves Shakespeare (and especially Grades 10-12)
Find tickets: https://bit.ly/BookShakespeare18April or Quicket
School Bookings and Info: Call Nthabiseng Mmethi at 011 484 1584 or nthabiseng@NCTheatreSA.org.za
Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet Double Bill for High Schoolers
NCT present Macbeth: Ambition. Betrayal. The weight of a crown. Director Lucy Wylde brings visceral intensity to Shakespeare’s darkest tragedy, transforming this required curriculum text into an electrifying theatrical experience that brings themes of power and consequence vividly to life for learners preparing for exams.
Romeo & Juliet: Two households, both alike in dignity—and two young lovers who risk everything. NCT brings director Lucy Wylde’s brilliant Shakespeare interpretation to this timeless tale of passion and fate so that it resonates anew for a learners navigating love, loyalty, and inherited conflict.
Book Your School: Book now, there are limited slots for NCT’s tour to schools from 16 March-25 April 2026. Bring one or both of these timeless stories into your students’ lives. Give your students the gift of Shakespeare performed with passion, energy, and relevance. This is theatre that challenges, entertains, and transforms – exactly what education should be. Hasten thee to book!
Show information
When: 16 MAR to 24 APR
Where: Touring to Schools
Grades: High Schoolers
School Bookings: Call Nthabiseng Mmethi at 011 484 1584 or nthabiseng@NCTheatreSA.org.za
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark
Based on the beloved story by Jill Tomlinson. Meet Plop, a baby barn owl who is just like every other barn owl—except for one thing: he’s afraid of the dark! “Dark is nasty,” Plop insists, refusing to go hunting with his parents. But when his wise mother sends him on a journey of discovery, Plop encounters a magical cast of characters who each reveal something wonderful about the night: a boy waiting for fireworks, an old lady, a scout camping under the stars, a girl who knows about Father Christmas, a stargazer with a telescope, and a sleek black cat who takes him on a rooftop adventure. Through these enchanting encounters, Plop learns that dark isn’t scary at all—it’s exciting, kind, fun, necessary, fascinating, wonderful, and beautiful.
This heartwarming tale has been treasured by families for over five decades, offering gentle reassurance to children navigating their own nighttime fears. Filled with Tomlinson’s signature humor and warmth, The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark is an uplifting story about courage, curiosity, and discovering that the things we fear often hold unexpected magic. Perfect for Pre-Primary and Primary School audiences and their families!
Show Information
Dates: 17 March to 24 April 2026
Venue: NCT, 3 Junction Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa
Ages: Pre-Primary and Primary School children (ages 4-10) and families
Run Time: Approximately 50-55 minutes (no interval)
Find Tickets: Ticket bookings open here and on Quicket on 04 February 2026
School Bookings: Nthabiseng Mmethi at 011 484 1584 or nthabiseng@nctheatresa.org.za.
Disney's The Lion King JR returns to NCT!
The African savannah comes alive again on NCT’s stage. More than fifty young performers bring Disney’s iconic coming-of-age epic to roaring life in a celebration of courage, identity, and the circle of life that has captivated audiences across generations.
Show Information
Dates: June/July 2026
Venue: NCT, 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown 2193
Ages: All Ages
Find Tickets: Ticket booking will open in March 2026
School Bookings: Call Nthabiseng Mmethi at 011 484 1584 or nthabiseng@NCTheatreSA.org to book your class/school.
Aesop's Fables
Join us for The Railway The tortoise. The hare. The sun and the wind. The fox and the grapes. Aesop’s timeless tales return to NCT for the first time since 2021, reminding learners that wisdom comes in small packages—and that every story holds a mirror to ourselves.
Show Information
Dates: 29 June to 19 July 2026
Venue: NCT, 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown 2193
Ages: Primary Schoolers
Find Tickets: Ticket booking opens here and on Quicket in February/March 2026
School Bookings: Call Nthabiseng Mmethi at 011 484 1584 or 0761152304 or nthabiseng@NCTheatreSA.org
NCT's Young Director Programme & Festival Weekend
The next generation of theatrical visionaries takes the helm. NCT’s Young Director Programme selects and mentors six emerging children’s theatre directors through masterclasses, hands-on production experience, and the chance to shape their stories to move audiences on the final weekend in June 2026.
Show Information
When: June 2026 (Dates TBD)
Venue: NCT, 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown, 2193
Ages: Families
Find Tickets: Ticket booking will open in March or April 2026.
Info: Email nthabiseng@nctheatresa.org.za or call 011 484 1584 or 076
My Children! My Africa!: On Demand
When: On deand
Venue: NCT will tour to schools in Jozi, Gauteng and beyond
Booking: Call Lebo at 011 484 1584 or hello@nNCTheatreSA.org.za
Ages: Grade 11 and 12
NCT’s outstanding production of this matric setwork brings to life a story that is as valid today as it was at its premiere in 1989 which was directed by Athol Fugard himself. We’re delighted Kathy-Jo Ross, who was cast by Fugard as the first Isobel, acting with John Kani as Mr M and Rapulana Seiphemo as Thami, is once again in the director’s seat, her fourth year and with a new cast. Set in 1985 in the Western Cape, the play begins with a debate between Isabel a girl from a posh white school, and Thami a boy from the poor Location, under the auspices of dedicated teacher Mr M. Debate is the play’s central motif; the characters argue ideals and political positions with each other, then step forward and present their positions to us. But debate is not only between the obvious: black and white, powerful and powerless, privileged and impoverished. It’s also between old and young, tradition and revolution, male and female, private and public, talk and action. All the characters are kind, smart and admirable, and each wins our affection and our allegiance, making it a challenge to take easy sides.
The Red Balloon: On Demand
When: On demand
Venue: NCT’s Inspiration Theatre or NCT will tour to your school in Jozi, Gauteng and beyond
Booking: Call Lebo at 011 484 1584 or hello@NCTheatreSA.org
Innocence Lost: On Demand
When: On demand
Venue: NCT’s Inspiration Theatre or NCT will tour to your school in Jozi, Gauteng and beyond
Booking: Call Lebo at 011 484 1584 or hello@NCTheatreSA.org.za
Ages: Grades 6 and up
NCT proudly presents Innocence Lost, an outstanding educational theatre project designed to inform vulnerable teenagers of the dangers of being trafficked, and how to recognise and deal with would-be traffickers. The play goes on tour to schools in June 2023, mainly in Soweto where much girl child trafficking takes place. This program is an example of how education through theatre arts can help communities across South Africa engage with the challenging issue of stopping child trafficking, especially girl trafficking. Girl child trafficking is a social crime in which teenagers, but especially girls generally from poverty-stricken backgrounds, are attracted by promises of money, employment, social dignity and a bright future. Too late they discover that none of the promises are genuine. They have landed in a life of slavery and misery. This program intends to inform vulnerable youth and help them become aware of the horrors that result from being trafficked. Innocence Lost is based on a true story and is a sad and shocking story.
Themes: Child trafficking awareness, dangers, challenging traffickers and those who prey on vulnerable children, teacher, parent and community awareness, help and resource
