22/12/2025
Theatre Review:
Words and Nightmares
Written & Performed by Seiphemo Motswiri Directed by Themba Mkhoma | Music by Kenny Rakotsoane
Performed @ Soweto Solo Featival
Words and Nightmares is one of the most powerful one man theatre pieces I have ever witnessed. Written and performed by the multi award winning and internationally acclaimed theatre maker Seiphemo Motswiri, and directed by the legendary Themba Mkhoma. This production is a masterclass in storytelling, performance, and artistic courage. The evocative musical score by Kenny Rakotsoane completes the experience, weaving sound and emotion seamlessly into the narrative.
At the heart of the play is a writer wrestling with an all too familiar dilemma:
Should he write what is true or what is acceptable?
Should he tell the stories that haunt him, or those that will please communities, funders, publishers, and institutions?
The writer stands at the crossroads between relevance and safety, truth and approval. The voices in his head, voices of publishers, investors, gatekeepers, and society, constantly warn him that telling Africa’s painful, controversial stories will scare away support. These are stories rooted deeply in African and South African realities, stories of genocide, dispossession, and historical brutality that many would rather silence than confront.
The play boldly touches on how Africans were stripped of their rights, brutally murdered, and forced to flee their ancestral homes, running for their lives. It confronts the horror of children witnessing their parents being killed in front of their eyes, and communities being erased through violence and fear. These are not easy stories to tell, nor easy to hear, but they are necessary. It is for these reasons that Mr Motswiri as a writer, emerges as a deeply brave and relevant voice, choosing truth over comfort and integrity over approval.
What makes Words and Nightmares extraordinary is its refusal to hide behind metaphor for safety. While many artists choose to soften truth through abstraction and symbolism, Mr Motswiri chooses otherwise. He decides to tell the stories as they are, raw, honest, and unfiltered. This decision becomes the emotional and intellectual battleground of the play.
Motswiri’s performance is electric. With relentless energy and precision, he embodies multiple characters, each clearly defined through voice, movement, language, and age. Even when performing characters outside his mother tongue, his transformations are so convincing that the audience is transported directly into the minds and worlds of those who live within the writer’s thoughts. The clarity of character work is exceptional, making the journey easy to follow and deeply engaging.
The direction by Themba Mkhoma is mature, intentional, and confident. The pacing is controlled, the imagery is vivid, and every moment serves the story. This is not a rushed or indulgent production. it is disciplined, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in purpose. The music by Kenny Rakotsoane further elevates the performance, creating mood, tension, and emotional resonance that fuse beautifully with the actor’s movement and text.
This is theatre that matters. Theatre that challenges. Theatre that reminds artists why they fell in love with the stage in the first place. Sitting in the audience, I found myself thinking, “I want to go back on stage. I want to tell my truth.”
The final moment of the play is unforgettable. Without a word, the writer hands a big pen to the audience. The message is clear and powerful:
The pen is now in your hands. Tell the stories. Tell them raw. Tell the truth. Do not hide behind comfort or fear.
Words and Nightmares is a bold, necessary, and deeply inspiring work. It is theatre for those who take Africa seriously, for those who believe in storytelling as resistance, and for those who understand that art must sometimes disturb in order to heal.
A highly mature, well-written, and exceptionally directed production that deserves to be seen, discussed, and remembered.
Review by Dr Andile Innocent Mbatha
