Tebello

Spending a night together – consciously suspended between dreaming and waking: Tebello – The Night Piece is an eleven-hour expedition into the cosmos of the night, created by the independent theatre group O-Team (Stuttgart, Germany) and Village Gossip Production (Johannesburg, South Africa). Inspired by the ancient practice of temple sleep and the Sesotho term Tebello (“waiting” or “wake”), the performance creates a transcendent space where art, sleep, and community converge.

In a walk-in sleep laboratory, a meditative ritual unfolds – blending object theatre, sound installation, and performance art. Boundaries between reality and imagination dissolve. Audiences and performers move together – singing, dreaming, listening – in a circle throughout the night. The following day begins with a shared breakfast.

This piece weaves together cultural rituals and artistic expression into an immersive, dreamlike experience. It offers a space for reflection, remembrance, and anticipation – beyond linear time.

26/06 Pre-View – Market Theatre Lab Johannesburg
28/06 Pre-View – Market Theatre Lab Johannesburg
03/07 Show – Bahale Maseru (Lesotho)
05/07 Show – Bahale Maseru (Lesotho)
16/07 Show – Vryfees Bloemfontein
18/07 Show – Vryfees Bloemfontein

Napo Masheane – Artistic Direction/Performance
Nina Malotta – Artistic Direction/Performance
Samuel Hof – Artistic Direction/Performance
Annalisa Gxabu – Production South Africa
Markus Niessner – Graphic Design, Production Management O-Team
Sello Pesa – Performance
Boitumelo Mohutsioa – Perfomance
Dumelang Bondo Tsepo – Music
Oscar Motsikoe – Technics
Debra Leshika – Props

A production by Village Gossip Production in collaboration with O-Team. Funded by the International Co-Production Fund of the Goethe-Institut and the City of Stuttgart.