A Chamber Opera in Two Parts by William Kentridge.

Sibyl, William Kentridge’s internationally celebrated chamber opera in two parts, comes to the Pam Golding Theatre as a flagship production in The Baxter’s 50th anniversary programme.

Featuring the 2023 Olivier Award-winning Waiting for the Sibyl and named a New York Times Critics’ Pick in 2025, Sibyl combines live music, movement, charcoal animation, collage, projection and shadow play in an unforgettable theatrical experience.

At its heart is the ancient story of the Cumaean Sibyl, who wrote people’s destinies on oak leaves. When the wind scattered the leaves, no one could be certain whether the fate they received was truly their own. In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms and predictions, Kentridge asks whether there is still space for intuition, imagination and human wisdom.

The production brings together The Moment Has Gone, a 22-minute film performed with a live score and Waiting for the Sibyl, a 42-minute chamber opera. South African composers Kyle Shepherd and Nhlanhla Mahlangu create a score that draws together contemporary composition, choral music, movement and deeply rooted local traditions.

Singers, dancers and musicians bring Kentridge’s constantly shifting world to life in a production that is visually breathtaking, emotionally moving and unmistakably South African.