PROJECTS:

WORK IN DEVELOPMENT: “NELIA” (WORKING TITLE)

Created and performed by Inge Crafford-Lazarus, with music by George Gershwin and Béla Bartók

The first iteration of “Nelia” was performed in the GBS Theatre at RADA as part of the Lab Works festival, in December 2025, following several weeks of research and development.

Her name is Nelia and she lives in a circle. Bad things have happened here, but she wouldn’t feel safe anywhere else. She is afraid of corners among other things. She doesn’t need much: just a few drops of rain and an apple a day. Apples might be her most favourite thing, despite the fact that they are not yellow. She’s partial to yellow. Her least favourite thing is the sound of the Hadedas… no, the dark… no, definitely the Hadedas, but also the dark, what dreams may come, and the thought of not being enough.

JON KEEVY’s A Girl Called OWL

With Larissa Crafford-Lazarus

Directed by Inge Crafford-Lazarus

Light and Technical Direction by Jak Brits

Movement Direction by Calista Crafford-Lazarus

Produced by Calaringe Productions

When Olivia moves to a small town in the Overberg, her quiet curiosity attracts a mischievous friend: Kay, the girl with the scar, who gives her the nickname “Owl.” Her impulse to follow the rebel leads to uncharted waters. Jon Keevy’s A Girl Called Owl is a South African coming of age story. It spotlights innocence lost, creativity stifled, and love misunderstood.

Larissa Crafford-Lazarus plays Owl and Kay and a slew of other characters they encounter while they are growing up, getting out, and going looking for trouble.

“As a performer finds their presence onstage, a bit of magic is spilled out for all to see. It’s seldom that within the first couple of moments, that performer’s presence is cast over the work, like a spell, and holds you transfixed from the very moment she first moves until the lights drop at the end of the piece. ”

— Robyn Sassen

Read the full review here.

HELENA GUNTER’s Tweespoor

Nicole Holm as Fransina and Inge Crafford-Lazarus as Tilla in Tweespoor. Images by Nardus Engelbrecht

Directed by Juanita Swanepoel

With Nicole Holm and Inge Crafford-Lazarus

Set and Lighting design: Stefan Benadé

Sound design: Pierre- Arnold Theron

Produced by Calaringe Productions. Made possible by Toyota US Woordfees and supported by NATi.

Twee vroulike tydgenote, twee tydgleuwe, twee aktrises, een verhoog. Tussen oënskynlik mooi herinneringe aan haar plattelandse kindertyd, worstel Tilla met woorde en gebeure wat op die rand van haar rede vassteek: “karpatse klein dogtertjie,” “gentleman”, “mal” – spore uit ’n verlede wat sy agterna moet loop. In die hede, langs ’n verkeerslig in ’n verspotte uitrusting, staan Frasina: middeljarig, wit, en o, behoede haar, Afrikaans. Sy wil graag, soos haar polities korrekte, welaangepaste susters, insmelt en saam met die reënboognasie vorentoe. Maar sy sukkel. Wanneer sy ’n slagoffer van misdaad word, maak die wêreld nog minder sin, totdat sy gaan sterre kyk.

Nicole Holm is named Best Female Lead for her role as Fransina and TWEESPOOR receives nominations for Best Theatre Production, Best Director (Juanita Swanepoel), and Best Emerging Artist (Inge Crafford-Lazarus) at the 2020 Woordtrofees.

William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet

Eight actors, twenty parts, one of Shakespeare’s most loved plays - two hours traffic on the Alchemical stage.

Directed by Inge Crafford-Lazarus

With Sam Finn Cutler, Thomas Hedlund, Felix Jones, Omri Kadim, Maggie McMeans, Julia Rehwald, Rebecca Thompson and Yannick Trapman-O’Brien

Lighting design: Kelley Shih

Costume design: Diana Schlossberg

Fight Choreography: Omri Kadim