From Cape Coast, Through Accra, To Johannesburg: Gizo-Gizo! The Musical Goes International
I am thrilled to share that ASSITEJ Ghana will be taking Gizo-Gizo! The Musical to South Africa for the Cradle of Creativity Festival, organized by ASSITEJ South Africa.
This is much more than an international performance. It is an opportunity to take a Ghanaian story that began in Cape Coast, was developed into a theatre production in Accra, and is now travelling to Johannesburg for an international audience.
The Cradle of Creativity is a week-long international festival taking place from 31 August to 6 September 2026, bringing together 21 productions from 10 countries and creating a space for artists, educators and young audiences to encounter stories and artistic expressions from different parts of the world.
Gizo-Gizo! The Musical is a production by Booksie and Vivie’s Dance & Theatre Academy, based on Gizo-Gizo: A Tale from the Zongo Lagoon by Emily Williamson. The original story was developed with the students and teachers of the Hassaniyya Quranic School in Cape Coast, Ghana, and published by Sub-Saharan Publishers. The stage production was subsequently developed in Accra, bringing the story to life through music, dance and theatre.
“I am so excited for Gizo-Gizo! The Musical to be part of the Cradle of Creativity Festival. I have always loved theatre and as a child, enjoyed watching productions at the University of Ghana,” says Edem Torkornoo, Founder of Booksie. “That love of theatre, together with our desire for children in Ghana to experience a different kind of entertainment, led Booksie to reach out to Vivie’s Dance and Theatre Academy when the idea for this play began to take shape. We could not have asked for a better creative partner and co-producer. “We absolutely cannot wait for an even bigger Pan-African audience to experience the musical. Audiences should definitely be prepared to leave with songs they won’t be able to get out of their heads for a long time to come!”
The story follows a community whose lagoon is threatened by selfishness and environmental neglect, exploring themes of community, responsibility, friendship and environmental conservation, while celebrating Ghanaian storytelling and performance.
Our Ghanaian cast comprises seven performers — two students and five teachers from Vivie’s Dance & Theatre Academy. I am particularly excited about this combination because it represents something I deeply believe in: the performing arts provide a space where generations can learn from, create with and inspire one another.
For our two young performers, this journey is an opportunity to experience theatre beyond Ghana, meet artists from different countries and see themselves as part of a wider African creative community. For the teachers, it is an opportunity to share their practice, represent Ghanaian theatre and learn through international exchange.
I also believe that the timing of this journey is significant.
At a time when tensions arising from xenophobia and the treatment of African nationals have affected conversations between Ghana and South Africa, I believe that cultural exchange is more important than ever.
Theatre gives us another way to meet — beyond headlines, stereotypes and national identities. We meet through our stories, our creativity and our shared humanity.
If we want a more peaceful and connected Africa, we must create opportunities for our young people to encounter one another, learn from one another and create together.
That is why I am proud that Gizo-Gizo! is travelling to South Africa. We are not simply taking a production abroad. We are sharing a piece of Ghanaian storytelling, opening ourselves to learn from others and using the arts to build connections.
The production will be performed at the John Kani Theatre on 2 September at 7:30pm, and 3 September at 11:00am and 7:30pm.
From Cape Coast, through Accra, to Johannesburg, Gizo-Gizo! is carrying a Ghanaian story across borders and reminding us of something I believe: