Cape Town’s winter theatre calendar is about to get a dramatic injection of myth and spectacle as Orpheus in the Underworld arrives at the Artscape Opera House this June.
The production, choreographed by acclaimed South African ballet figure Veronica Paeper, will run from 12 to 21 June 2026 and brings together a rotating lineup of principal dancers across multiple performances. For local ballet fans, the format offers something rare: the chance to watch different artists reinterpret the same iconic roles throughout the season.
Inspired by the legendary Greek tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, the ballet explores love, loss, temptation and rebellion against the gods themes that have remained timeless across centuries of storytelling. This latest staging blends classical ballet with theatrical flair, promising audiences an emotionally charged journey into the Underworld.
A rotating cast adds excitement to the season
One of the biggest talking points around the production is its changing principal cast schedule. Dancers including Axton Green, Caesar Elsner and Leusson Muniz will alternate in the role of Orpheus, while Kirstel Paterson, Isabella Blair and Hannah Ward step into the role of Eurydice across different performances.
The production also features rotating interpretations of Pluto and Calliope, giving returning audience members a completely different stage experience depending on the date they attend.
In Cape Town’s theatre scene, where audiences often follow specific dancers and companies closely, the rotating cast approach has already sparked excitement online among ballet supporters eager to compare performances and artistic chemistry between casts.
A major moment for Cape Town’s ballet scene
Artscape remains one of the Western Cape’s most important cultural spaces, regularly hosting large-scale productions that bring together local performers, creative teams and arts supporters. Productions like Orpheus in the Underworld continue a long-standing tradition of making classical performance accessible to both seasoned theatre-goers and first-time audiences.
The ballet season also arrives at a time when live performance spaces across South Africa are seeing renewed public interest, particularly among younger audiences discovering theatre through social media clips and behind-the-scenes rehearsal content.
For many local arts supporters, productions like this are about more than entertainment they are a reminder of Cape Town’s deep creative culture and the role live performance still plays in bringing communities together.
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Performance dates and booking information
Orpheus in the Underworld will be staged at the Artscape Opera House from 12 to 21 June 2026.
Performance dates include afternoon and evening shows across the run, with different principal casts appearing at each performance.
Tickets are available through Webtickets and Artscape Dial-A-Seat.
The production is supported by several cultural and media partners, including the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Boschendal and CapeTalk.
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Picture: Kazuo Ota / Unsplash
