Marianne, a physicist, and Roland, a beekeeper, meet at a party. They hit it off, and go for a drink. Or perhaps they don’t. They go home together, or maybe they go their separate ways. Perhaps Marianne is engaged to someone else, perhaps Roland is. Maybe she breaks his heart, maybe he breaks hers. Perhaps they come together and their love story can finally take root and grow, or perhaps it will be tragically cut short. Nick Payne’s beautiful play, Constellations, explores how even the smallest change in our lives can dramatically alter the course we take. It is a spellbinding exploration of love, science, quantum theory, and infinite possibility for heartbreak or for hope.

Suppose that life exists in a multiverse -- a set of parallel existences that contain infinitely different futures. The possibilities in our lives are, quite literally, endless. Every possible event that could happen, does happen, in one universe or another. And if two lovers meet -- are drawn together in every version of existence -- every possible happy ending and heartbreak that could befall them, will.

Original Performance: Constellations opened at the Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Upstairs before transferring to the West End, where it won the Evening Standard Award for Best Play and received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Play. Moving onto Broadway, Marianne and Roland were played by award-winning actors Ruth Wilson and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Reviews: “The play may fixate on physics, but the chemistry between the two leads is potent enough to move an audience to tears.” ―Alexis Soloski, The Guardian

“Rarely has quantum physics felt as romantic, as lively as it does in Broadway's Constellations.” ―Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post

“Short and sweet and strangely haunting . . . Although barely an hour long, this baby bombshell by hot Brit scribe Nick Payne overflows with emotional highs and lows . . . By the end of the play (has it really been only an hour?), we're fully invested in [the characters'] lives. All of them.” ―Marilyn Stasio, Variety

 Bios: Jeff Brooker is an award-winning producer, director, theatre administrator and strategist and founder of Jeff Brooker Productions. His debut professional work as a director was the Owatonna Production of The Syringa Tree in 2017 with Kyra Rahn. This solo work of theatre was where he found his love for solo theatre and producing. He then returned to South Africa to pursue a bachelor’s degree in theatre making at the University of Cape Town. In his second year, he revised and reproduced The Syringa Tree with a new actress, Nancy Rademeyer. This production ran at the National Arts Festival Fringe, where it won a Standard Bank Ovation Award. This production was selected for a run at the Drama Factory in Somerset-West. Since The Syringa Tree, he has founded Jeff Brooker Productions, a theatre production company specializing in the creation of artistic value. This company has produced two productions, the sellout Every Brilliant Thing and children's show How to Hold the World. The company is also currently on a Western Cape Tour of The Syringa Tree & How Did I Get Here?

Lisa Tredoux completed her studies in Theatre and Performance at the University of Cape Town in 2021. She graduated with honours in acting as well as being awarded the Bret Goldin Memorial Cup for her acting achievements. Lisa loves playing any number of characters ranging through comedy and drama. Most recently she performed in ISMISM at Theatre Arts and Women of Owu at the Baxter Theatre. Beyond her love for acting, Lisa writes and illustrates children's books and has also qualified as a professional makeup artist for both beauty and special effects makeup. Her goal is to consistently produce work that she feels passionate about, to help nurture and grow the theatre space in South Africa and to enjoy each moment along the way.

Jock Kleynhans is a performer in his fourth year of his BA (Hons) in Theatre and Performance at UCT. Having been well aware of the challenges and commitments that his final year at University will present this year, he was still incredibly excited and enthusiastic to join the production of ‘Constellations’. Jock has taken part in various student productions such as ‘Echoes of Anger’ by Damon Galgot, as well as ‘No Cigarettes by the Sea’ by Garrick Pagel. He has also appeared in the MNet series ‘Lioness’ and is set to appear again in the second season. In High School, Jock traveled to the World Choir Games in 2016 to compete in the Champions league in 2 divisions, as part of the Duke of Cornwall Singers. He feels incredibly privileged to have been able to have had experienced such an insightful and enriching opportunity. Jock takes great pride in his work ethic and even more pride for his love of theatre, and expanding his definition of performance. He is always excited to learn, try and challenge himself. Jock has thoroughly enjoyed the production process of ‘Constellations’, and cannot wait to see how it sits and continues to grow on the stage.

Audience Responses

A profoundly interesting and engaging piece, [based on a drama school exercise], which has done very well overseas and I'm so glad to see a local team take it on. The nuances were beautifully played, wonderful range of human textures and colours. Well done all - I hope it sees more performances. Possible translation into Afrikaans would also bring it into the Afrik festivals. Overseas, at least one of the castings was male-male, so it could also be done here in female-female casting too, with some adjustments to the script. I thought about it afterwards and realized that through so much of the play there's a subtle underlying theme - no matter how nice he is, the male figure repeatedly overrides or steals her agency from her - but this is so subtly woven, by text and the actors, that it does not become polemic. It gets to you subliminally. Great work, indeed. Expert acting and directing. I asked the row of young people sitting in front of me what had brought them there and they said they were all friends of the director. This is lovely but also very sad as the general public (particularly young people ) are not attending theatre out of their own initiative, which is so very bad. There's so much good new work being created by young people here, it deserves support. We need to engage a lost audience. Kudos to Drama Factory for doing what you do. In the broader picture of current SA theatre, yours is a profoundly valuable space. Patrick

The acting was superb, but I'm afraid I didn't really get or enjoy the story.

Well written and well acted. It's a subject which we don't think about much but has changed the course of so many lives.

Outstanding!

It was simply fantastic!

Fascinating, wonderfuly performed by both parties. We really enjoyed it a lot. Thank you.

Fascinating, wonderfuly performed by both parties. We really enjoyed it a lot. Thank you.

Fascinating, wonderfuly performed by both parties. We really enjoyed it a lot. Thank you.