In a compelling fusion of theatre, social critique and visual storytelling, the production of Zakes Mda’s And The Girls In Their Sunday Dresses has become one of Cape Town’s most resonant stage experiences of the season. At its heart lies a collaboration between the creative insights of director Mdunyiswa Kweyama and the production design leadership of Leopold Senekal, Dean of AFDA Cape Town and an accomplished production designer with decades of experience in theatre, film, and television.
Leopold’s design for the play does more than create space, it roots us in the lived realities of the characters. The play follows two women, the sharp-tongued Lady and the weary, witty Woman (performed by Awethu Hleli and Tamzin Daniels), as they wait in a sluggish government food-aid queue. In this delay and stasis, Mda’s script reveals humour, heartbreak and humour again, with Leopold’s environments giving physical form to political tension and emotional truth. The set feels at once bare and potent: an almost barren queue landscape marked only by the detritus and symbols of systemic neglect. Through this creative grounding, what could be an abstract idea, the daily grind of bureaucratic inequality, becomes palpably human.
Under Leopold’s guidance, design elements become storytelling tools: objects, textures and spatial relationships deepen our empathy as each woman unravels her personal journey. What begins as social satire evolves into a profoundly moving meditation on patience, resilience, and the shared human yearning for dignity. Though simple in structure, the world of this play feels vast, precisely because every prop, colour and design choice echoes with lived struggles and quiet hopes.
Leopold brings to the production a rich professional background spanning scenic and production design, art direction, and leadership in performance education. With a BDRAM degree and honours in scenic design and production management, he has over two decades of creative experience, including theatre set work across South Africa and internationally, and founding his own design studio, Good Call Production Design House. His design work has earned accolades such as Fleur du Cap Awards and numerous theatre honours.
As an educator and academic leader, Leopold champions a vision of design rooted in authenticity, intention, and emotional truth, values that resonate clearly in his work on And The Girls In Their Sunday Dresses. Rather than relying on flamboyant or artificial aesthetics, his environments amplify spaces that reflect real human terrain: places of waiting, hope, exhaustion, and possibility.
This philosophy also inspires his latest educational initiative:
Exclusive Online Production Design Masterclass
“Authenticity in Production Design: Designing Truth in the Age of AI”
In a world where hyper-polished, AI-generated imagery is increasingly ubiquitous, staying grounded in purposeful storytelling is essential for creators who want to shape unforgettable worlds on stage and screen. Join Leopold for one extraordinary online Masterclass that explores the heart of authentic design in the modern era.
What You’ll Discover
Why authenticity matters in design, beyond aesthetics
How intention first leads to emotionally truthful worlds
The psychology of space: how environments shape character and audience perception
Practical strategies for using AI tools without surrendering authorship
Case insights from real productions (including And The Girls In Their Sunday Dresses)
Tools for emerging production designers, filmmakers, and storytellers
This one-off session is perfect for:
Filmmakers and directors
Theatre and stage designers
Production designers and art directors
Visual storytellers seeking purpose-driven craft
Wednesday, 25 February
16:30 – 17:30 (Online – join from anywhere)
If you’re just beginning or deepening your creative journey, this masterclass offers insight into the visual language that shapes unforgettable work both on screen and on stage.
At a time when global storytelling practices shift rapidly with technology and cultural change, Leopold’s work and this masterclass highlight a core truth: design is not decoration. It is a discipline that shapes meaning, connects audiences to lived experiences, and honours the authenticity of human stories. In both And The Girls In Their Sunday Dresses and this unique learning opportunity, Senekal invites us to look beyond surfaces and to see design as an act of critical, compassionate engagement with the world.