Kimberley’s Historic Hull Street Theatre Revives the Stage with The Suit

By Khumo Makame and Palesa Mofoti

After nearly twenty years of silence, Kimberley’s beloved Hull Street Theatre reopened its doors to the public on 29 October, with a captivating staging of ‘The Suit.’ The performance marked a triumphant return for the 129year-old landmark, fusing the revival of a classic South African story with the restoration of a cultural treasure.

The Play — A Powerful Return to Sophiatown

Under the direction of James Lee, The Suit unfolded with emotional precision and youthful energy. Written by Can Themba in 1963 and set in the 1950s, the story transports audiences to Sophiatown, a place once alive with music, intellect, and defiance before apartheid tore it apart.

The Suite, featuring four actors: Thabo Motlhabi, Ontlametse Seemo, Thapelo Letshabo, and Ontlametse Moeng from across the Northern Cape province.

At the heart of the unforgettable story of love lies a tale of love, betrayal, and quiet suffering of Philemon, a devoted husband who discovers his wife Matilda’s infidelity.

The cheating details of Matilda and her ex are disclosed by Philemon’s neighbours.

Instead of rage, he crafts a punishment both poetic and cruel. He forces Matilda to carry her lover’s abandoned suit everywhere, treating it as an honoured guest – a constant reminder of her guilt.

Philemon is unaware of his wife’s infidelity until Marata-helele, Ous Rose from next door, forces her man, Oom Pike, to tell Philemon.

This results in Philemon catching Matilda red-handed and naked in bed. But Philemon remains cool, calm, and collected – resulting in Matilda committing suicide out of guilt.

Lee’s interpretation strikes a balance between reverence for Themba’s original work and an invigorating local flair. His direction transforms ‘The Suit’ into more than a tragedy.

It becomes a mirror reflecting the tenderness and torment that shaped black urban life in mid-century South Africa.

The cast delivered performances that lingered long after the curtain call. Thabo Motlhabi’s portrayal of Philemon is that of a raw and magnetic man torn between pride and heartbreak.

Ontlametse Seemo brings grace and fragility to Matilda, embodying the devastating weight of shame. As Maphikela, Thapelo Letshabo infuses the play with humour and humanity.

Narrator Tlotlo Moeng, with his rhythm and confidence, evokes Can Themba himself guiding the audience through a world of jazz, jealousy, and redemption.

Performed within the creaking walls of a theatre as old as the story’s sorrow, The Suit felt less like a performance and more like an act of remembrance, a reminder that South African storytelling still breathes through community stages and shared memories.

Lee explained that the aim is to revive memories through theatre.

“We want to bring back our past, not to erase it, but to remember it. This performance brings back memories, especially for our elderly people who lived through those times,” he said.

The Theatre — A Homecoming for Heritage

The Hull Street Theatre was built in 1896 as a Wits University classroom. It carries a legacy as rich as the stories it hosts. Declared a national monument in 1977 and later a provincial heritage site. The Theatre once served as a World War II weapons workshop and later as a De Beers training centre, which is an early root of Wits University’s mining school.

The building had fallen silent since 2006, its stage darkened by years of neglect.

It has, however, been clouded with laughter and applause since its reopening.

One of the actors, Thapelo Letshabo, expressed that this was his first show since Grade 6, “The character reminded me of things I’ve seen in my own neighbourhood. It was emotional and powerful.”

Audience member Rachel Seakeco was delighted with the quality of production, “The play was wonderful. I truly enjoyed myself, I’ll definitely attend again next time.”

As the final applause faded, Hull Street Theatre stood reborn, no longer a relic of Kimberley’s past, but a living testament to its enduring creative soul.