HISTORY Magnet Theatre was formed in 1987 to produce Jennie Reznek's first one-person performance, CHEAP FLIGHTS. It re-emerged in 1991 to produce THE SHOW'S NOT OVER 'TIL THE FAT LADY SINGS in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Grahamstown, Pietermaritzburg, Windhoek, London, Brighton, Manchester, Glastonbury, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Hong Kong and Stockholm. In 1994, after touring for two and a half years, they returned to South Africa with the following aims:  To continue to develop Jennie Reznek's own unique physical performance style through the continued creation of small scale productions  To collaborate with other practitioners on larger scale productions which would encompass a broader socio-political vision  To develop a profile for the company as an ongoing organisation with a specific artistic vision  To develop the language of physical theatre in South Africa as a means to overcoming vast language diversities.

MAGNET THEATRE TODAY VISION Magnet Theatre seeks to celebrate a spirit of theatrical research and to challenge participants in our activities, performers and audience, through experiences that shift bodies, assumptions, feelings, beliefs and understandings. We strive to be a moving force in the lives and minds of people in relation to changing local and global contexts. MISSION Our mission is to create an original repertoire of South African productions, inspirational performance events and effective educational processes that emphasise the primacy of the human body in the act of theatre. Through explorations of our historical, contemporary and stylistic contexts we dedicate ourselves to raising levels of resources and energising audiences and theatre practitioners in the community at large.

Since 1994 we have:  Through a collaboration with Jazzart Dance Theatre, created 7 new works - MEDEA (1994), THE SUN, THE MOON AND THE KNIFE (1995), SOE LOEP ONS ... NOU NOG! (1996), VLAM 2 (1999), COLD WATERS/ THIRSTY SOULS (2002), RAIN IN A DEAD MAN’S FOOTPRINTS (2004/2005) and CARGO (2007);  Adapted and staged Herman Melville’s epic novel - MOBY DICK (1994);  Created 2 new Jennie Reznek-inspired performance pieces - I DO X 22 (1997) and 53 DEGREES (2002);  Created 3 outdoor theatre productions - PUMP (1998/9), ONNEST'BO (2002/3/5/6) and DIE VREEMDELING (2010);  Created a large-scale outdoor performance event, VLAM 1 (1999), to celebrate the dawn of the new millennium in collaboration with Jazzart and Southern Edge Arts of Western Australia;  Adapted the stories of the acclaimed Mozambican author, Mia Couto, for the stage as VOICES MADE NIGHT (2000/1 and 2007);  Collaborated with Theatre Spirale (Geneva) on a South African version of the Swiss play THE FIRE RAISERS by Max Frisch (2004), combining seven South African actors with actors from Mali, Indonesia and Switzerland;  Created EVERY YEAR, EVERY DAY, I AM WALKING on the subject of refugees in Africa for the African Festival of Youth and Children’s Theatre in Yaounde, Cameroon (2006) with further performances at the National Festival of the Arts in Grahamstown (2007 and 2009), Cape Town (2007 and 2010), Johannesburg (2008), Hilton Festival (2008), KKNK (2009), Aardklop (2009), in 9 SADC countries (2008/9); as well as at the London International Festival of Theatre (2006/7); Proyecto Festival, Argentina (2009); Juice Festival, Newcastle-Gateshead (2009); International Theatre Festival of Kerala, India (2009); Oval House, London(2010; and IDEA Congress, Brazil (2010);

Created ISIVUNO SAMA PHUPHA, a collaboration with UCT Drama School and Magnet Theatre’s Community Groups Intervention at the Arena Theatre and at The Spier Infecting the City Summer Arts Festival( 2007);  Created INGCWABA LENDODA LISE CANKWE NDLELA, an isiXhosa production as part of the Magnet Theatre Educational Trust training programme, performing for the Spier Infecting the City Festival, for the National Arts Festival Fringe, on tour in the Eastern Cape, for Arts Alive 969 Festival (Jhb.) (2009), and at the Artscape Arena (2010);  Established the COMMUNITY GROUPS INTERVENTION which mentored 8 youth drama groups from Khayelitsha (2002-2007);  Established a full time training programme with young actors from townships in and around Cape Town (2008/9/10);  Run the CLANWILLIAM ARTS PROJECT (a Collaboration with UCT’s Michaelis School of Art, UCT Drama School, Jazzart, Namjive and The Living Landscapes Project) for the children of Clanwilliam (2001-2010);  Run the COMMUNITY ARTS DEVELOPMENT in Clanwilliam and Okiep, an ongoing year long arts intervention which has resulted in the establishment of the youth drama group COMNET and relationships with other organisations like BOSASA in the area (2007 – 2010);  Created effective educational interventions in Western Cape Schools that support the curricula in history, arts and culture and life skills, and which teach creativity, imagination and theatrical skills. The workshops are also designed to teach values of tolerance and understanding through the medium of the body.  Run workshops in mime, physical theatre and mask throughout the country;  Extended and shared our knowledge of physical theatre styles and collective-creativity with students, as part of our University teaching;  Sustained 23 years of continuity of work and an increasing national and international profile.