Inmates from Pollsmoor Prison’s Medium B section will perform their original play, Gwala Ka Jan, the performance started yesterday 16 October to Saturday 18 October at the prison’s auditorium.
Real stories from inside
The public can attend the production, which tells a raw story about gang life, identity and redemption. The men behind bars wrote and perform the play themselves. They turn their lived experiences into art through the Words Set Free rehabilitation programme.
The 90-minute performance follows Keegan, a first-time offender drawn into the harsh world of prison gangs. Performed in Sabela, the coded language used by the Numbers gangs, the play reveals the choices, fears and hopes of those navigating life behind bars.
A different kind of theatre
Tickets are free and available on Quicket, but seating is limited to 150 people per show. Organisers will share entry protocols with ticket holders before the event.
“This is not your typical theatre production,” says Suzette Leal, producer and facilitator of the project. “These men are fathers, brothers and sons. They may not be trained actors, but they bring authenticity and heart to the stage. Gwala Ka Jan shows the redemptive power of storytelling and reminds us of our shared humanity.”
Collaboration and mentorship
Over the past year, Leal worked closely with the inmates through her Words Set Free programme, which uses theatre as a tool for rehabilitation. In addition, they collaborated with veteran actors Jack Devnarain and Adrian Galley. Both are members of the South African Guild of Actors.
They also received guidance from Professor Richard Calland of Cambridge and UCT. Natasha Dryden, known for her work on 7de Laan, directed the production.
Changing perceptions through art
According to Leal, the collaboration challenges stereotypes about offenders. It shows how the arts can open conversations about crime, punishment and transformation.
“Gwala Ka Jan questions the systems we live within. It gives space to the complexity and humanity of the people inside them,” she says.
Supported by correctional services
The Department of Correctional Services supports the initiative as part of its offender rehabilitation and reintegration programmes. As a result, the production demonstrates how creative expression can help inmates rebuild their sense of identity and purpose.
For more information, contact Genevieve Cutts at gencutts@gmail.com.
