THEATRE REVIEW: Can Themba’s Classic The Suit at The Hull Street Theatre, Kimberley
A Northern Cape cast breathes new life into Can Themba’s timeless tale of love, betrayal, and punishment. By Chepape Makgato James Lee’s latest stage adaptation of Can Themba’s The Suit, which ran at the Hull Street Theatre in Kimberley from 30 October to 2 November 2025, is a stirring and heartfelt revival of one of South Africa’s most iconic short stories. Ontlamentse Semmo as Matilda and Thabo Motlhabi as Philemon. Pic: Facebook Originally written in 1963 but set in the 1950s, The Suit remains one of the most widely read and frequently adapted works in South African literature. Set in Sophiatown during apartheid, the story follows Philemon, a devoted husband who discovers his wife, Matilda, in bed with another man. As punishment, he forces her to carry her lover’s abandoned suit wherever she goes, treating it as an ever-present reminder of her betrayal. The story’s themes of love, humiliation, and punishment continue to resonate across generations. The Suit ha...
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