Isango Ensemble

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Isango Ensemble ISANGO ENSEMBLE is an internationally renowned South African theatre company that draws its artists from the townships in Cape Town. R.

Our productions & films have played to sold out theatres worldwide. Our stage productions and films have played to sold-out audiences across the world, and we’ve received numerous international awards. Isango’s productions re-imagine classics from the Western theatre canon, finding a new context for the stories within a South African or township setting, thereby creating inventive work relevant to the heritage of the nation. Isango’s award-winning film U-Carmen eKhayelitsha and our second film Son of Man were filmed on location in Khayelitsha and propelled this historically disadvantaged township into the international spotlight. Local residents were given the opportunity to be part of the films, and U-Carmen premiered
in Khayelitsha’s O. Tambo Sports Centre, playing there for three weeks to excited audiences. We intend to further develop this process by building a truly mixed audience, reflecting – and uniting – our diverse South African nation.

Ensemble '84 and Isango in Italy. Venus&Adonis at the Festival dei Due Mondi
11/07/2026

Ensemble '84 and Isango in Italy. Venus&Adonis at the Festival dei Due Mondi

01/07/2026

May and June were so incredibly kind to us.

We opened the doors to our new home, The Playhouse. We welcomed Sir Ian McKellen to Horden and we shared our work with theatre-loving audiences, old friends and new.

In July, our Ensemble ’84 performers are having a little downtime from rehearsals. But the work does not stop.

Our sister company Isango Ensemble will be performing Venus and Adonis at the Festival di Spoleto in Italy.

We are very proud to share our creative team with them, and to have Isango as a company we can listen to and learn from. From similar beginnings, but at different stages of our journey, they offer us support, advice and the chance to learn from world-class performers.

Thank you for all your support in 2026 so far.

Please sign up to our mailing list to hear first about what Ensemble ’84 will be doing for the rest of the year, sign up can be done at the bottom of our homepage ensemble84.com

image credit - Keith Pattison

10/04/2026
10/04/2026

Grief, betrayal and revenge. The search for truth carries a deadly cost....

Tickets are on-sale now for our next production!

Join us for a striking new staging of ‘The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Shakespeare’s First Quarto' - a shorter, rarely performed version of Shakespeare’s tragedy. Told with striking differences in structure, dialogue and character names, the story unfolds with compelling theatrical energy, combining powerful storytelling with live music, song and movement.

A kingdom is unsettled. The King of Denmark is dead, his brother now wears the crown, and Prince Hamlet is left grieving - and suspicious. When the ghost of his father appears with a terrible revelation, Hamlet is drawn into a dangerous quest for truth and revenge. As secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, the royal court becomes a place of spies, deception and growing madness. Hamlet must decide how to act in a world that no longer feels certain.

Directed by Mark Dornford-May and performed by our all-County Durham cast in our immersive venue, The Playhouse in Horden, Shakespeare’s gripping tale is staged once more, providing a fresh perspective on the familiar story.

📍 The Playhouse, South Terrace, Horden, County Durham, SR8 4NQ
📅 Dates: May 26th – June 6th, 2026
⏰ Time: 7:30 PM (Evenings), 2:30 PM (Matinees) (7pm, 28th May)
⚠️ Advisory: May contain flashing lights, loud music and strong language.

🎟️ Tickets £10-20 (Age restriction advised 12+) → Book now at https://www.ensemble84.com/first-quarto-hamlet/ or call 0191 300 4340

Don’t miss this extraordinary production. Join us at The Playhouse in Horden from 26th May – 6th June

Culture Durham Redhills Durham Into the Light

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
28/11/2025

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Address

Cape Town

Telephone

(+27) 21 6861644

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Isango Ensemble posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Isango Ensemble:

Shortcuts

Share

Category