A Good House, a provocative and comedic new work about a South African couple who discover the limits of good neighbourliness, moves into Bristol.
A mysterious, grubby shack that appears in a prosperous neighbourhood is the catalyst for a culture clash in South African playwright Amy Jephta’s biting new satire, A Good House.
A Good House, a co-production with the Royal Court Theatre in association with The Market Theatre, Johannesburg, heads to Bristol Old Vic from February 14 to March 18. It is the latest new work being championed by Bristol Old Vic as part of its commitment to new writing and ambition to find the classics of the future.
Directed by Bristol Old Vic’s award-winning Artistic Director Nancy Medina, this vibrant and intriguing production explores notions of belonging, suburban living and community politics. Nancy, who hails from Brooklyn, New York, and is also the Co-Founder of Bristol School of Acting, recalls: “Around spring 2024, Royal Court Artistic Director David Byrne said, ‘hey, I’ve got this play and would love you to direct it’.
“I read it and loved it and that’s how it began. David and I were keen to see what a collaboration/partnership would be like between our two theatres. We’re both passionate about new writing and supporting writing in the UK. It felt like a really good relationship to explore.”
In the quaint gated suburban community of Stillwater, a mysterious shack has sprung up from the dust and its inhabitants – presumed to be black and poor – are nowhere to be seen. As speculation abounds, middle-aged white couple, Christopher and Lynette, enlist wealthy black neighbours Sihle and Bonolo, who they’ve hitherto largely ignored, to be the face of a campaign to demolish the shack.
But who exactly is allowed to belong? What must they sacrifice to do so? And what, exactly, constitutes a ‘good house’?
“It’s a funny, funny play,” says Nancy. “It’s fast, it’s pacey, it’s really clever. You’re in for a good time with this one.
“It’s set in a gated community in Cape Town, South Africa called Stillwater – it’s one of those cookie cutter picturesque neighbourhoods. We meet three couples: One couple who have been living there for quite sometime since Stillwater was created, called Chris and Lynette. Bonolo and Sihle are the next residents that have been there about two years, and then we meet Jess and Andrew, who have only been there for two months.
“And in this picture-perfect little community, all of a sudden this shack appears from nowhere on this unclaimed plot of land. So the residents come together to decide what they’re going to do. They want to evict the shack, and the invisible people that no one has seen, out of this neighbourhood and hence the comedy ensues!”
Bilingual Cape Town-based playwright, screenwriter, actor and director Amy Jephta is fast becoming one of South Africa’s leading contemporary playwrights. She has spent her career exploring the contradictions of belonging in post-apartheid South Africa, and her work has been performed internationally.
Her landmark film, Barakat, made history as the first feature filmed entirely in Afrikaaps, a uniquely South African dialect blending Afrikaans with other linguistic influences.
At the centre of this latest work, A Good House, is the question that echoes throughout Jephta’s work – to whom does the land belong? Who gets to call it ‘mine’?
The cast includes Kai Luke Brummer, Olivia Darnley, Mimî M Khayisa, Sifiso Mazibuko, Robyn Rainsford and Scott Sparrow, and the actors and creative team are a mix of South African, Zimbabwean, American and British theatremakers, all bringing different perspectives of what the legacy of colonisation is.
“It’s just been such a blessing,” says Nancy. “Arthur, the casting director, and I were really specific about having a South African cast as it was such an important story – and how rare it is to have a South African story on our UK stages these days. We were so lucky as there are so many amazing South African artists residing in the UK.
“This cast were so generous and caring and really understood the importance of having this conversation in present day Cape Town and what it meant for them to be representing that in the UK. I have a lot of respect of that and that they still managed to have a lot of fun through the process.
“The team was mostly British and myself American – the Associate Director was American and also part Zimbabwean. I think we could all bring our different understandings of what the legacy of colonisation is from our different worlds, in a way that didn’t overwhelm the specific South African story, but that helps add that it’s a universal story and we’ve all been touched by the pain of it.”
The production ran at London’s Royal Court Theatre in January, ahead of its Bristol performances. It was a hit with audiences, and had critics describing it as exhilarating and an utter joy to watch.
“Reaction has been fantastic,” Nancy tells me. “It’s a really funny play – until it’s not.
“It’s wonderful that we’ve been getting such different types of audiences, some really vocal, so it feels like people are really invested in the story, which is really great. From the get-go, audiences are with the story, they’re with the pace, and having a good time. Then, by the end, they’re really feeling thoughtful and grateful for having gone on that journey. It feels good.”
Now, Nancy is looking forward to bringing the production to Bristol Old Vic, where she was appointed Artistic Director in 2022. This is the second production to be directed by Nancy at the theatre, following Choir Boy, which won Best Play at the Black British Theatre Awards in 2024.
“I think Bristol audiences are going to love it. I love how vocal Bristol audiences are and how ready for a good time they are – and I think this is the right play for them.
“Firstly, I hope they have a good night out in the theatre. The design is absolutely stunning, the costumes are beautiful. The music by Femi Temowo is fantastic. The artistry that’s been put into this production is inspiring. So I’m so excited that Bristol gets to see this elegant sharp play.
“Secondly, the theme really speaks to a lot of the conversations that have been bubbling about for the last 15 years here in Bristol in regards to reparations, gentrification, issues with land here, and just around how we deal with a troubled history. I think the last 15 years has prepped Bristol to be able to really receive this play and understand that they’re part of this conversation, too.”
A Good House is at Bristol Old Vic from February 14 to March 18. For more information and to book, visit bristololdvic.org.uk