BAAL

Theatre

Adam Small Theatre Complex · Stellenbosch, South Africa

BAAL Poetry. Pleasure. Ruin. By Bertolt Brecht Translated by Peter Tegel There are artists who observe the world. There are artists who challenge it. And then there is Baal—a man who devours it. Driven by an insatiable hunger for experience, Baal rejects convention, morality and restraint in pursuit of absolute freedom. He drinks deeply, loves recklessly and consumes everything—and everyone—that enters his world. His extraordinary gift for poetry is matched only by his relentless appetite for pleasure, leaving behind broken relationships, shattered ideals and lives forever changed. Written as Bertolt Brecht's first full-length play, Baal remains remarkably contemporary. In an age captivated by celebrity, influence and excess, it asks enduring questions about artistic genius, desire, power and the consequences of living without limits. How easily do we forgive cruelty when it is wrapped in brilliance? When does freedom become exploitation? And how much destruction are we willing to excuse in the name of greatness? Presented by students of the Stellenbosch University Drama Department, this production explores the intoxicating tension between creation and destruction through a richly theatrical fusion of movement, music and striking visual imagery. The result is a visceral world where poetry intoxicates, pleasure seduces, and ruin waits patiently in the shadows. This is not a celebration of excess. Nor is it a condemnation. It is an invitation to witness the dangerous beauty of a life lived without boundaries—and to ask what remains when desire has consumed everything. Tickets: https://ticketbee.co.za/events/213718321600667648

2026-09-05