There is a particular kind of magic that happens when a band you grew up singing along to, meet the people who taught you how to fly, literally. This November, Zip Zap Circus and Freshlyground are doing just that: bringing a born-and-bred Cape Town energy to the Artscape stage in Take Me Home, a show that feels like a big, warm invitation to belong.
The origins of Take Me Home
Growing up in the circus taught me that “home” isn’t always a place – it is a chorus of sounds, a rhythm of bodies moving together, the smell of chalk and ropes, and the nervous laugh you share with your partner before you walk on stage. Zip Zap has always been a space where kids from wildly different backgrounds find the same heartbeat – and Freshlyground have soundtracked many of those moments for a whole nation. Bringing the two together is more than a clever pairing: it’s a celebration of South African creativity, resilience and the joy of seeing home-grown talent lift each other up.
What to expect from the show
The show is exactly what you want from a family-friendly Zip Zap production: jaw-dropping aerials, mesmerising choreography, cheeky humour and a warmth that spills out of the auditorium and into the streets of Cape Town. Freshlyground will perform live, reimagined as a six-member ensemble with their new lead singer, Mbali Makhoba, bringing the band’s delightful Afro-pop flavours to the circus stage. You will see professional Zip Zap artists share the spotlight with the organisation’s Dare2Dream students, a reminder that this is as much about community as it is about spectacle.
Dates, times and how to join us
Take Me Home runs for one weekend only at the Artscape Opera House from 14-16 November 2025. With five shows across the weekend, it’s the perfect outing for families, couples, friends, visitors and anyone who wants to feel a little lighter, brighter and more hope-filled. Tickets range in price from R200 to R290 – book early for discounted tickets.
A love letter to collaboration
Zip Zap has always thrived on partnerships – with musicians, theatre makers, funders and communities. In the Dome, Zip Zap’s former home (see September’s blog for more on this) days we shared stages with music groups, artists and local favourites – like Freshlyground and The Parlotones, weaving circus into Cape Town’s broader cultural story. Working once again with Freshlyground for Take Me Home feels like history looping back on itself in the best possible way: home-grown artists recognizing and magnifying each other’s work. It’s theatre and music and social impact meeting in one big, celebratory heartbeat.
Why this show matters beyond the applause
We are a social and professional circus. Our students don’t pay to learn these skills; they gain life tools – teamwork, confidence, trust, and discipline – that ripple out into families and neighbourhoods. When Zip Zap brings students on stage alongside professional artists and a beloved band, those aren’t just performance moments: they are transformative experiences. For young people who have trained in our programmes, sharing a stage at Artscape with a national treasure like Freshlyground is validation, visibility and possible new pathways – a reminder that talent from our streets belongs on big stages too. Many of our older students are now employed by Zip Zap as professional circus artists, and earn a living following their passion and performing across the world.
3 things I’m excited to see at Zip Zap’s upcoming show:
- How the music and movement will converse: Freshlyground’s rhythms are inherently collaborative – they ask your body to respond. I can’t wait to see how aerialists and acrobats catch, echo and amplify that call, and how the audience answers.
- The nervous smiles, reassuring hugs and unplanned exchanges that take place backstage between Zip Zappers and Freshlyground – those special micro-moments are the ones that change lives and build family.
- The audience leaving the theatre humming, holding hands or reaching for tickets to the next show. That kind of shared joy is why we do what we do (and what allows us to keep doing it).
Come home with us
If you are in Cape Town this November, bring the family, bring friends, bring people who haven’t yet discovered Zip Zap or Freshlyground. Come to be entertained, yes – but also to witness a moment where home-grown, world-ready local artistry unites. Book your tickets through Artscape or Webtickets and be part of a weekend that’s generous, loud, tender and proudly South African.
A small thank you
To everyone who has trained, taught, donated, clapped from the stalls and cheered from the wings: this show is for you. Zip Zap started as my parents’ crazy dream and has grown (with your help) into a space where young people can dream bigger than their circumstances. Take Me Home celebrates that journey – and invites the whole city to join the chorus.
See you at the Opera House. Let’s Take It Home. 🎪🎶
