The intimate Seabrookes Theatre at Durban High School will host A Woman Apart, a gripping new one-hander drama by acclaimed writer and director Naresh Veeran, for a limited season from 13 to 15 February.
Featuring award-winning KwaZulu-Natal actress Kajal Maharaj, the production delves into the fragile nature of happiness and the deeply personal consequences of life’s choices. Maharaj plays Tash, a successful married lawyer whose seemingly stable world begins to unravel as she waits for an Uber, caught in the midst of a moral and ethical crisis. What follows is an intimate and unflinching examination of the decisions that led her to this defining moment.
Presented as a live solo performance, A Woman Apart is enhanced by an immersive theatrical experience that blends AI and video technology, creating what Executive Producer Prakash Naidu describes as “a live screenplay”. The innovative format features virtual cameo appearances by a host of well-known artists, including Daisy Spenser, Suria Govender, Darren King, Rahul Brijnath, Vukani Cele and Shika Budhoo, with Instagram appearances by comedians Aaron McIlroy and Lisa Bobbert.
Veeran says the play centres on the idea of personal freedom born from honest self-reflection. “A Woman Apart explores what remains of us when the pursuits we cling to are stripped of illusion. Through Kajal’s performance, the play presents one possible outcome of that reckoning,” he explains.
Best known for her role on hit television series Imbewu and her recent lead performance in the comedy-drama My Cousin’s Big Fat Durban Wedding, Maharaj is relishing a return to the theatre, where she began her career at the age of nine.
“Live performance is art,” says Maharaj. “This story feels like a rich tapestry of colours and textures, woven together by a creator whose purpose is beauty and joy. It’s an incredible journey, and I can’t wait to share it with audiences.”
Veeran, also a jazz musician, is the bestselling author of the crime novel 31 Million Reasons and the director of KZN box-office hit romcom For Better, For Worse.
A Woman Apart runs at Seabrookes Theatre, Durban High School, Musgrave, on Friday 13 February at 7pm; Saturday 14 February at 4pm and 7.30pm; and Sunday 15 February at 4pm and 6.30pm. The production runs for 70 minutes with no interval. Bar and food service will be available, and secure off-road parking is provided.
Tickets are available via Webtickets. Due to adult themes, the production is not suitable for audiences under 16.
Enquiries: Ethan Sicard on 069 433 9728
