The Hottentot Venus - Untold

Don’t miss this exciting piece of theatrical storytelling performed by multi-award winning storyteller Jacqui Du Toit.

Hottentot Venus Untold traces the life of Saartjie Baartman, an Indigenous South African woman taken into slavery and brought to London, where she was cruelly displayed as a “savage curiosity.” History remembers her as a symbol of exploitation—but her story is far more layered, resilient, and human.

The performance unfolds in five chapters, each told through the voice of a fictional female character who, in some way—spiritually or physically—intersects with Saartjie’s journey. Each perspective reveals a different truth, creating a five-dimensional portrait of a woman whose life embodied both suffering and courage. Through movement, song, gesture, and spoken word, the voices of these women bring Saartjie’s story to life, challenging the audience to reflect on the ongoing realities of colonization, exploitation, and the erasure of Indigenous voices. At once intimate and epic, this storytelling theatre piece is not just a remembrance of Saartjie Baartman—it is also a mirror held up to the present. It confronts historical injustices while highlighting the strength of Indigenous women, both past and present, whose voices demand to be heard.

Door 1:00pm

Show: 1:30-3:00pm