About the work
“A Good House” is an English-language play by the South African playwright Amy Jephta. It was co-commissioned by the Royal Court Theatre and the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town. The world premiere took place in January 2025 at the Royal Court Theatre in London, directed by Nancy Medina as a co-production with Bristol Old Vic in association with the Market Theatre Johannesburg; the production then transferred to Bristol.
Plot
The play is set in Stillwater, a gated, comfortable suburban estate in South Africa. One day a tin shack appears there, and nobody ever sees its occupants. The white neighbours want it removed and recruit Sihle and Bonolo, the Black couple who have recently moved in, as the public face of their campaign. In the process the two discover how far good neighbourliness goes and what belonging costs.
Cultural significance
Critics read the play as a sharp social satire on class, race and belonging and compared it with Bruce Norris's “Clybourne Park”. Amy Jephta was nominated for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for the play. Its South African premiere followed in 2026 at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg.