The Market Theatre 
will mark Pride Month with Chantal Stanfield’s new play, SHOCKWAVE, a powerful drama directed by David Dennis that runs from 15 October to 8 November 2026.
Set in the 1980s against a turbulent political backdrop marked by the State of Emergency, deepening social divisions and growing fear surrounding the so-called "gay plague", the play follows a young man grappling with questions about his sexuality.
At the centre of the story is Larry, a young man trapped by fear and prejudice who is forced to seek lodging with a deeply religious widow on the Cape Flats.
The cast is led by Renate Stuurman and Trevor Lynch, with Lois du Plessis and Duane Behrens in supporting roles.
According to Dennis, SHOCKWAVE is a theatrical fight for visibility and memory at a crucial moment in South Africa's democracy. He said the play reminds audiences that the liberation struggle was not only about changing the political order but also about dismantling all forms of discrimination.
"In terms of our own history, I think it's incredibly important for all ages, but especially for young people, to contextualise where we come from and understand the politics of this country in all its dimensions," he said.
The Market Theatre Foundation's Artistic Director, Greg Homann, who served as dramaturg during the play's development in 2021 as part of How Now Brown Cow's Writers Collective, said he is excited to see the production take centre stage as the flagship production of the theatre's inaugural Queer Festival.
The five-day festival will take place towards the end of Pride Month, which is observed in October.
"Having walked the journey with the playwright from idea to page and now stage, I'm excited by The Market presenting work that centres the story of a gay man and LGBTQ+ themes more broadly," said Homann.
"This play revisits historical events not to dwell on them, but to interpret them for our current context, drawing from what was taboo then to joyfully celebrate queer identities in a free South Africa today."
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