Many of you are probably wondering: “What on earth IS a tokolosh?”.


A tokolosh is a short, hairy, dwarf-like creature from Bantu folklore that commits evil and mischief. The word tokolosh comes from the Xhosa word ‘UTHIKOLOSHE’.

Why write a play about one?


Many people in South Africa are genuinely afraid of the tokolosh. FEAR is something that we are all familiar with. Fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of other people, fear of change ect. Think about it...... the list is endless. And we all remember what its like to be a frightened child. So, we have created a funny, fast paced show, based on the archetype of The Hero's Adventure, that addresses that very theme.




“tokolosh PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES OF THEATRE” Daily News, South Africa.


“WORLD CLASS ENTERTAINMENT” The Johannesburg Star, South Africa.


“AN UNUSUAL GEM” Eastern Cape Herald, South Africa.

tokolosh - the show
tokolosh closes the gap between theatre and film. It is a technically ambitious mix of storytelling, character and interactive animation. The character of ‘Nokukyana’ (played by Jamaican gospel singer, Miss Biellie-Dee Luewis) appears in a floating 3D animated bubble and an African childhood visually comes to life.


Audiences are taken on an action adventure to Africa. Our young heroine, Serena, is sent to boarding school in a far away land. Things are strange. For breakfast, she has to eat jam that (the other children say) comes from a camel’s nose. The headmaster thinks there’s still a war on. The chef has two fingers missing, the meanie sisters say that the tokolosh ate them and even more horrible than that........ it lives under her bed!! Just when things can’t get any worse, Serena is sent out to collect snails in the African bush - where strange things happen and the tokolosh is lying in wait.

Luckily, her guardian angel, Nokukyana, appears in her dreams to lend a helping hand. Will Serena overcome her fear and face her enemies? Will Starsky and Hutch arrive in time?


A mix of animation and live action suitable for everyone above the age of 8.


Written and performed by Tanya Sprong
Directed by Grainne Delaney

Animation designed by the Media Academy, Amsterdam.
Duration: 55 minutes


For further information, please contact Tanya Sprong on 0621558391.