La Ronde: A Provocative Look at Love and Power in Contemporary Society
Lyle October and cast or La Ronde.
Image: Mark Dobson
Nothing is quite as it seems in Arthur Schnitzler's provocative play, La Ronde, directed by Leila Henriques, on the Baxter Studio stage this winter.
Written in 1897 by Austrian author and dramatist, Schnitzler's La Ronde is a story of ten characters from different parts of society, all searching for escape and connection through sex.
Henriques locates the story in 2025 with an all Fleur du Cap award-winning cast and creative team. The dynamic cast comprises The Baxter's resident Fire's Burning company; Awethu Hleli, Lyle October, Tamzin Daniels, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe and Carlo Daniels, along with Berenice Barbier and Aidan Scott.
Crystal Finck is the assistant director and choreographer, set design is by Patrick Curtis, costume design by Wolf Britz, lighting design by Franky Steyn and music curation by Keir Mantzios.
In a world obsessed with visibility, image and performance, this modern adaptation of La Ronde probes a world where intimacy is currency, sex is a calculated strategy and everyone is performing for someone.
La Ronde is French for the round and refers to a dance performed in circle formation. It also means 'from one person to another' and creates the perfect metaphor for Schnitzler's play, driven by raw physicality, pulsating contemporary music and visceral dance. It takes a funny, provocative look at relationships now, delving into the complexities of power, desire and the relentless pursuit of connection. Through the ten characters and ten intimate encounters, it offers a sharp look at who holds power, who is exploited and who is seen.
La Ronde is set in contemporary Cape Town and seen through the eyes of a DJ who finds the perfect track to cover each smooth or clumsy sexual encounter.
'We become involved with these ten characters in the play, all from different walk of life, all in search of something more, any kind of escape and intimacy through each other,' said Henriques.
'The play is funny, awkward and often poignant, as we watch how the characters chase love. It is a deeply human story and anyone who has ever pursued love will be able to recognise themselves in it,'
Playwright Arthur Schnitzler is regarded as one of the most significant representatives of Viennese Modernism. His works, which include psychological dramas and narratives, dissected 19th century bourgeois life in Vienna. The sexual content of his works was considered controversial and were banned at the time.
Over the years at The Baxter, Henriques was seen in Curse of the Starving Class, directed by Sylvaine Strike. She directed The List and Hani, which won a Golden Ovation award at the Grahamstown Festival.
The entire La Ronde cast is a Fleur du Cap award-winning ensemble. Earlier this year, the Baxter's Fires Burning Company won the Best Ensemble award for Metamorphoses, while Aidan Scott clinched the Best New Director acknowledgement for The Dumb Waiter. In 2023 Berenice Barbier walked away as Best Supporting Actress for her role as Honey in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
La Ronde runs for a limited season from June 20 to July 12, 2025 at 8pm, with Saturday matinees at 3pm. There is an age restriction of 16 years and parental guidance is advised. Booking is through Webtickets online or at Pick n Pay stores.
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a day ago
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La Ronde: A Provocative Look at Love and Power in Contemporary Society
Lyle October and cast or La Ronde. Image: Mark Dobson Nothing is quite as it seems in Arthur Schnitzler's provocative play, La Ronde, directed by Leila Henriques, on the Baxter Studio stage this winter. Written in 1897 by Austrian author and dramatist, Schnitzler's La Ronde is a story of ten characters from different parts of society, all searching for escape and connection through sex. Henriques locates the story in 2025 with an all Fleur du Cap award-winning cast and creative team. The dynamic cast comprises The Baxter's resident Fire's Burning company; Awethu Hleli, Lyle October, Tamzin Daniels, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe and Carlo Daniels, along with Berenice Barbier and Aidan Scott. Crystal Finck is the assistant director and choreographer, set design is by Patrick Curtis, costume design by Wolf Britz, lighting design by Franky Steyn and music curation by Keir Mantzios. In a world obsessed with visibility, image and performance, this modern adaptation of La Ronde probes a world where intimacy is currency, sex is a calculated strategy and everyone is performing for someone. La Ronde is French for the round and refers to a dance performed in circle formation. It also means 'from one person to another' and creates the perfect metaphor for Schnitzler's play, driven by raw physicality, pulsating contemporary music and visceral dance. It takes a funny, provocative look at relationships now, delving into the complexities of power, desire and the relentless pursuit of connection. Through the ten characters and ten intimate encounters, it offers a sharp look at who holds power, who is exploited and who is seen. La Ronde is set in contemporary Cape Town and seen through the eyes of a DJ who finds the perfect track to cover each smooth or clumsy sexual encounter. 'We become involved with these ten characters in the play, all from different walk of life, all in search of something more, any kind of escape and intimacy through each other,' said Henriques. 'The play is funny, awkward and often poignant, as we watch how the characters chase love. It is a deeply human story and anyone who has ever pursued love will be able to recognise themselves in it,' Playwright Arthur Schnitzler is regarded as one of the most significant representatives of Viennese Modernism. His works, which include psychological dramas and narratives, dissected 19th century bourgeois life in Vienna. The sexual content of his works was considered controversial and were banned at the time. Over the years at The Baxter, Henriques was seen in Curse of the Starving Class, directed by Sylvaine Strike. She directed The List and Hani, which won a Golden Ovation award at the Grahamstown Festival. The entire La Ronde cast is a Fleur du Cap award-winning ensemble. Earlier this year, the Baxter's Fires Burning Company won the Best Ensemble award for Metamorphoses, while Aidan Scott clinched the Best New Director acknowledgement for The Dumb Waiter. In 2023 Berenice Barbier walked away as Best Supporting Actress for her role as Honey in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? La Ronde runs for a limited season from June 20 to July 12, 2025 at 8pm, with Saturday matinees at 3pm. There is an age restriction of 16 years and parental guidance is advised. Booking is through Webtickets online or at Pick n Pay stores. Cape Times
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La Ronde: a provocative exploration of sex and power at the Baxter
Awethu Hleli, Carlo Daniels, Berenice Barbier, Lyle October, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe, Aiden Scott, Tamzin Williams Image: Mark Dobson La Ronde is set to ignite The Baxter Studio this winter with a daring and darkly comic new production directed by Leila Henriques, running from 20 June to 12 July 2025. Inspired by Arthur Schnitzler's once-censored 1897 play, this contemporary reimagining explores themes of sex, power, and longing through a chain of encounters between 10 strikingly different characters. In a world obsessed with visibility, image and performance, this modern adaptation of LaRonde probes a world where intimacy is currency, sex is a calculated strategy and everyone is performing for someone. Set in modern-day Cape Town, the play unfolds through the eyes of a DJ, who soundtracks each scene with music that reflects the emotional tempo of the characters' intimate exchanges. 'This play is funny, awkward and deeply human,' said Henriques. 'Anyone who's ever chased love or connection will see themselves in it.' Lyle October, Berenice Barbier and cast of La Ronde Image: Mark Dobson The production features The Baxter's acclaimed Fire's Burning Company — Awethu Hleli, Lyle October, Tamzin Daniels, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe and Carlo Daniels — joined by Berenice Barbier and Aidan Scott, both of whom have earned critical praise, with Scott recently honoured as Best New Director at the Fleur du Cap Awards. With design by Patrick Curtis, costumes by Wolf Britz, and lighting by Franky Steyn, La Ronde merges visceral choreography, sharp-witted dialogue, and a pulsing score into a theatrical experience that's provocative, poignant, and unapologetically bold. Cast members shared their thoughts on the production with Weekend Argus, reflecting on its emotional depth and cultural relevance. 'It's both exciting and scary,' said Awethu Hleli, reflecting on performing La Ronde in a contemporary South African context. 'As young artists in South Africa, we don't shy away from complexity — we embrace it. We're part of a generation that's evolved in how we think about sexuality, and we're using our voices to engage with topics that were once considered taboo.' Asked to choose a song that captures her character's experience, Hleli chose Dolly Parton's Just Because I'm a Woman. 'My character is very aware of her own strength and how that can be used against her — or judged — as if she's somehow less capable of loving.' For Carlo Daniels, the play unlocks deeper reflections on romantic relationships. 'La Ronde really gets you thinking differently and reveals some hard truths about relationships,' he said. 'They're often complex and layered — especially once they're consummated — but what the play shows is that these knots can be untangled, even if it takes time.' He added: 'It's always great working with this team. You're reminded of what a gift real teamwork is, and the kind of magic that can come from it.' For Berenice Barbier, it's the silence in La Ronde that speaks loudest. 'There's a moment where everything goes completely still — no lines, no gestures — just a quiet return to self-realisation,' she said. 'It's charged with unspoken tension and self-awareness. That silence says more than a monologue ever could. Every night it lands differently, and that unpredictability is thrilling.' Carlo Daniels, Awethu Hleli and cast of La Ronde, Image: Mark Dobson Though La Ronde is rich with emotionally charged and intimate scenes, it's also filled with unexpected moments of levity. 'I'm definitely the one most likely to burst out laughing during a serious scene,' Barbier admitted. 'But those moments are a gift — they remind us not to take ourselves too seriously.' It's this balance — between humour and discomfort, silence and revelation — that gives La Ronde its power. As Hleli put it, 'We're part of a generation that doesn't shy away from complexity. We embrace it.' In this bold new staging, La Ronde becomes more than a series of encounters — it's a mirror held up to modern intimacy, in all its vulnerability, contradiction and connection." [email protected] Weekend Argus
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