A Cut Above The Rest
Silkworm
Contagious Theatre’s newest production is an evocative exploration of the ordinary things that make life, well, extraordinary.

Silkworm, a 2018 Standard Bank Ovation Award winner, is a story told through the eyes of the at once gregarious and socially awkward Georgina Aurora Clementine. Georgina is about to experience the single most important day of her life. On this day, she takes the audience on a journey that reveals how the small things are, ultimately, big things.
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Silkworm makes extensive use of storytelling and clowning techniques borrowed from Italy’s Helikos School of Theatre Creation, adding a dollop of humour and a touch of whimsy. The result is a theatrical experience that explores, pushes, and ultimately punctures the gossamer thin veil that divides the wistfully surreal from the frighteningly real. Silkworm is directed by Jenine Collocott and stars Naledi nominated Taryn Bennett, with additional dramaturgy by Nick Warren.
"One of the best shows in years."
- The Herald Spotlight
A little more...
Taryn Bennet is a theatre-maker based in Johannesburg. As a graduate of Rhodes University’s Drama Department her work showcases the physical nature of her training. She has performed for TV and stage and is a regular at the National Arts Festival. Audiences will remember such festival hits as The Snow Goose, Doctor Collinger’s Funeral Service, Kaput and Sie Weiss Alles. Taryn performed nationally for both Ubom and FTH:K theatre companies to critical and audience acclaim and in 2015 she worked on twenty-six episodes of the children’s TV series Silly Seasons. Taryn is a member of Johannesburg-based Shakespeare company, Framework where she has played Gertrude, Ophelia and other parts in their unique productions of Hamlet.