There’s some stellar talent behind ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’ – the extraordinary theatrical debut piece from Durham’s Ensemble '84 – including award-winning screenwriter Lee Hall and South Africa’s highly acclaimed Isango Ensemble.

Theatre company Isango Ensemble has won plaudits wherever they’ve played and with good reason. They came into being 25 years ago, bubbling up from the sprawling township of Khayelitsha, which is on the edge of Cape Town in South Africa. The company was co-founded by the British theatre director Mark Dornford-May with the aim of giving a platform to people who previously didn’t have one. The results have been spectacular with the company now boasting multiple awards. And now Isango Ensemble has proved to be the perfect model and inspiration for Durham’s Ensemble '84. The new company’s first bold production is ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’, which is the culmination of a 24-week, paid training programme for individuals from right across Country Durham who have banded together to become professional actors and form its cast. Written in 1939, the play – penned by Bertolt Brecht – follows the story of a shrewd canteen wagon owner, Anna Fierling – known as Mother Courage – as she struggles to make a living by profiteering from war while trying to protect her three children. Set against the backdrop of the Thirty Years’ War, the play is a powerful exploration of survival, sacrifice and the devastating cost of conflict. This new take on ‘Mother Courage’ has been adapted by Lee Hall, the north-east writer who has scored huge hits with the likes of ‘Billy Elliot’, Elton John biopic ‘Rocketman’ and ‘The Pitman Painters’. He brings a fresh urgency to Brecht’s iconic anti-war drama, offering a contemporary lens on its themes of resilience and moral compromise.

On directing duties is Isango Ensemble’s co-founder Mark Dornford-May who says of the piece: “Mother Courage is one of the greatest anti-war plays ever written, and in this new adaptation we explore its relevance to communities who have lived through economic hardship and struggle here in the north-east of England. By creating the work in this part of East Durham and through bringing in voices from South Africa’s Isango Ensemble, we have created a production that speaks across borders – one that unearths shared histories of resilience, sacrifice and endurance."

Lee Hall: “Mother Courage is one of the most important plays of the 20th century. Brecht forces us to ask urgent questions about war, capitalism, and the price of survival. Combining the north-east England context with that of South Africa where people have endured incredible hardship and fought to preserve their identity, brings a fresh and powerful perspective to the story. It’s a privilege to adapt this play for Ensemble '84’s first production, working with such an extraordinary company of artists from County Durham and of course one of the great lyrical international theatre companies from South Africa – Isango Ensemble.”

Mandisi Dyantyis, Musical Director for Isango Ensemble: “At its core, Mother Courage is a story about survival – about those caught in forces beyond their control, making impossible choices to keep going. This is something that resonates deeply with our own histories in South Africa, and it is a privilege to bring Isango Ensemble’s voice to this production. Working alongside Ensemble '84, we are not just telling a historical story, but drawing powerful connections between past and present, between different struggles across the world. This collaboration is a meeting of cultures, experiences, and artistic traditions, and I believe it will create something truly special for audiences.”

The cast of ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’ will be led by Isango Ensemble’s highly acclaimed Paulina Malefane in the title role. She is joined by Julie Ainslie, Mo Aleyasin, Noluthando Boqwana, Eve Booth, Janet Brown, Bryn Chaytor-Wilson, Mia Cummings, Brodie Daniel, Joe Hammal, Wendy Hindmarch, Keith Irons, Stephen Lister, Sophie Moss, Zoleka Mpotsha, Thandolwethu Mzembe, Willow Pearson, Phil Swinburne and Ayanda Tikolo.

This promises to be one of the real cultural highlights of 2025 in the north-east, so don’t pass it up.

Mother Courage and Her Children, 14-24 May, Horden Methodist Church, Peterlee, 7pm (2.30pm mats on 21 & 24 May), from £5, ensemble84.com/mother-courage