Chairperson, Company Director, Actor, Facilitator, Scriptwriter and Director.

Stuart Palmer launched Lunchbox Theatre in the Garden Route in 2008. He has created 9 shows and he has travelled with his team all over the South Western and Eastern Cape and KZN.

Imagine a growing army of positive young people who are changing our world?

Thanks to Stuart Palmer nearly 130 000 children in the South Western and Eastern Cape have been educated about important social and environmental issues through 600 live theatre shows.

Stuart has been involved in theatre for over 35 years. Whilst at school he won the Best Actor award for 3 years in a row, and in 2001 he was nominated by the Cape Times as the Best Supporting Actor. His passion for theatre turned professional in 2001 and he has not looked back since. He has been involved in many film and theatre productions as actor, director, writer, producer and company director.

Amongst other activities Stuart taught English before destiny intervened and he was appointed as a partner at the helm of Jungle Theatre Company in Cape Town. He gained extensive experience in community and school based theatre for the next 7 years. So, it was only natural that he continue with his passion when he moved to Plettenberg Bay and formed Lunchbox Theatre in 2007. He now combines his life experiences for the benefit of all by managing and growing this development theatre organisation.

Stuart is by nature a very social person with an infectious charm so it is only natural that he has excelled at MCing a wide range of events and functions. He facilitates drama workshops for a wide range of participants from school kids to corporate executives and clients at rehabilitation centres.

He is also an accomplished teambuilder, inspiration leader and fire dancer.  We rely onsupporters with fire in their bellies to also inspire and lead the nation towards greater care of our environment and animals.

Actor, Facilitator, Project Manager and Dreamer.

Has been Stuart Palmer’s right-hand man from the outset. And what an asset he is. You can actually feel the energy between them when they act. They are in perfect ying-yang balance. Both bring a wealth of knowledge from diverse experiences to the skills base.

What does it take to be a good team member? Loyalty and commitment? Belief in what you are doing? The ability to be respected by others and the desire to uplift them, even at a cost to yourself? A passion for going the extra mile? Someone who is easy to get on with and actively supports the growth of their fellow human beings? Here are some clues based on theLunchbox Theatre “Tribe”.

Lunchbox Theatre are fortunate to have an individual who has all the winning qualities of a Survivor. This is why founder, Stuart Palmer chose Mncedisi Ncedani as his ‘wingman’.

Mnce joined Lunchbox Theatre at the beginning of their journey, 9-years ago. He has earned a place in every show and that means that he has acted in over 600 shows and has helped to educate nearly 130 000 South African children!

This would not be possible if he did not have great power of concentration, the ability to learn fast, and an excellent memory. Independence of thought holds the highest priority for him and he enjoys teaching children about gaining freedom through, ironically, playing by the rules. He is guided by the principal, “If everyone is doing what you are doing, would the world be better or worse?”

The new and unknown fascinates him which is why he would love to travel to the ends of the earth to impart the important messages conveyed our live theatre shows. Mnce has travelled with the Lunchbox troupe all over the Garden Route, Eastern Cape and the highlight was when they went to Zimbabwe for the premier of iLifa, The Inheritance at the HIFA Festival in Zimbabwe in May 2015

Besides acting, Mnce plays an active role in general management, play and song writing. However, one of his special skills is that he can identify weaknesses in others yet employ a benevolent attitude.  This makes him invaluable as an ASAP teacher. The children who attend his ASAP classes benefit from his excellent communication skills and years of experience having graduated from New Africa Theatre in 1998 and the creation a number of shows that have featured at the Ikwezi Festival at The Baxter Theatre and at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival.  He has also been actively involved in taking his proteges to the Eden Drama Festival.

He is simply great at uncovering the strengths of those in his care and bring them into the light so that they can express their true potential. This has led to him becoming a main player in the Tshisa Talent, division of the organisation. Tshisa Talent uncovers, develops and promotes local talent which would have lain dormant within the communities. He now leads this performing arts division with innovation and a strict hand. For instance, his strong sense of responsibility allows him to teach children the importance of punctuality so that they can learn from an early age that ‘time’ can work for or against us.

Reacting quickly to arising problems or changing situations is second nature to him which is why he has been able to stay the distance as the organisation has grown over the years. Rather than being afraid of change, like many humans, he cherishes it. He is great to be around and attracts new friends like a magnet which makes it easy to be a good example.

As an independent thinker, Mnce is driven by his passion for changing behaviour for the better, one child at a time. Being a sceptic with firm beliefs, he never puts his name to anything he does not believe in. Through ASAP he is assisting youngsters to find their way in life, to express their individuality and stand a better chance by investing their time in developing their skills.

The What a Waste Show illustrates to youngster what would happen if everyone continued to litter and not manage their waste properly. The Last Drop Show gives us a glimpse into a world where if everyone continued to waste this precious resource we may even, in time to come, start fighting over the rights to clean water. A Dog’s Life teaches children about a world where everyone cherishes their domestic animals while the Great Eden to Addo Adventure carries a similar message about how our actions affect our wildlife and biodiversity.  The Whale Show uses Wonder the Whale to show the children the importance of Marine Protected Areas and caring for our oceanic animals. The Tree Show teaches us about the value of trees and nature in the cycle of life. Through the iLifa Show children are made aware that they have the power to overcome the cycle of child abuse present in our country.  And Thand’ Impilo can help to rescue them from the sad fate of contracting AIDs and HIV before it is too late to make a difference. Now those are the kind of survivors Lunchbox Theatre want to create.

Would you like to support Mnce and his fellow actors in their mission to educate South African youth about important social and environmental messages so that they grow up to be the best adults they can be?  You do not even need to leave home to get the message out.  Simply press the Donate button and bequeath a small monthly donation knowing that your gift will help to create strong South African survivors in the next generation.

Actor, Dancer and Facilitator.

First and foremost, Amanda is a dancer with a natural flair for choreography. This is of great benefit to the children she teaches through Lunchbox Theatre’s After Schools Activities (ASAP) Program. She has enjoyed great success since joining the Lunchbox Theatre as an original member in 2008.

Where does Amanda Valela get her power? Who is this young woman from a little township near Plettenberg Bay called Kwanokuthula, which means ‘Place of Silence’?  How has she broken the silence for so many as she passes on the skills of music, singing, and dancing? How did she manage to travel to so many places in her own country and then realize the dream of flying across the ocean in an airplane to a faraway, exotic place?  Not once, but a few times

The simple answer is that Amanda never gives up on a dream and that attitude brings opportunities. It also helps when you are born into a supportive and talented family.

One of the best opportunities ever afforded her was when she joined Lunchbox Theatre in 2008. Before that, she won the second place in the Nederberg Competition in Knysna as a Dancer with the Masimanyane Theatre Group.  She went on to win the Cape Town Dance Competition!

She has delighted in performing in festivals like the National Dance Festival in Upington, the Ikhwezi Festival, at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town, The KKNK festival in Oudtshoorn and the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. However, the real wind beneath her wings has been her passion for teaching youngsters Kwaito, Traditional African, and Gumboot Dancing.  Destiny intervened when she took her dance group, AMAcc to Lunchbox’s Tshisa Talent Competition. As one talented person recognizing another, founder Stuart Palmer invited her to join Lunchbox Theatre as an actor, dancer and group facilitator.

By 2017 she and the team had performed nearly 600 shows which took her to all corners of the Eastern and South-Western Cape of South Africa. Her dream to travel in an airplane was granted when she was chosen to represent young, South African black, female Directors in the “Ideas to Action Program” followed by the” Inspiring a Generation Program” and attended the BIBUSE Festival in Sweden. Next was the HIFA Festival in Zimbabwe where she co-directed iLifa, The Inheritance. This was topped by a trip to Linz, Austria, to attend the SHARXPIR Festival as part of the “Next Generation Program.” This opportunity all came through Assitej via Lunchbox Theatre.

Could all this ‘good luck’ be a karmic reward? If so, then Amanda will be given a lot more joy and empowerment as she is a shining light in Lunchbox Theatre’s “After Schools Activities Program” known as ASAP,  a deliberate play on words because children need all that the performing arts can give them As Soon As Possible.

ASAP uplifts the children by teaching them lifetime skills and making them proud of their culture whilst growing through the opportunities afforded them to perform, through Amanda’s role as a Tshisa Talent Scout and Manager. However, this initiative is under threat through lack of funding. Would you like to be part of some empowering good Karma?  Pay it forward, like Amanda does, and click on the DONATE button on our website as soon as possible and fund a kid to learn the performing arts.

Actor.

Nko is a greatly admired and talented actor who performs in many of the Lunchbox Theatre Shows with great passion. He delights in dancing and passing on his skills to youngsters through the After Schools Activities Program.

Lunchbox Theatre uses the fun medium of live theatre shows focused on environmental and social education to teach the youth about important life skills.

Meet one of our favourite actors, Nkosinathi Xipula who is delighted to be part of the Lunchbox Theatre troupe because children learn from the shows he acts in because they are having so much fun! He is skilled at comedy while conveying serious messages about saving water in the Last Drop Show or appreciating the environment through the Tree Show or guiding youngsters to avoid contracting AIDS through Thand’ Impilo or teaching them about their rights through iLifa he knows how to put the fun into learning.

Nkosinathi means ‘Gift of God’ and that is what this young man is to Lunchbox Theatre. Born to the Xipula family and growing up in a time of great change – the 90’s – in Kwano Kuthula, Plettenberg Bay, he is familiar with finding balance within opposing forces so that they stop confronting and start complementing each other. This makes him an invaluable actor as well as superb teacher. He thoroughly enjoys coaching children through Lunchbox Theatre’s After Schools Activities Program (ASAP).

Nko loves the fact that live theatre shows give him and ASAP children in his care opportunities to explore, discuss and deal with difficult issues and to express their emotions in a supportive environment. It is in effect a healing process which bodes well for the future.

Together he and those in his care explore their own cultural values and those of others, past and present. They learn how to think and act creatively. While having fun it is easy to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that enhances their lives in all areas of learning. This gives Nkho the opportunity to take a more open-ended approach, concentrating on the process of learning through ‘play’. He just wishes there was more funding to involve more children.

It is also hugely fulfilling to Nkho that the child audiences of the shows he acts in are encouraged to take responsible roles and make good, sustainable choices. If he had a theme song it would be” What have you done to make you feel proud” and the answer would be … “fulfilling my calling of changing the world one child at a time’.

His philosophy is “If you are the best that you can be. If you do, have and live in a way that is in harmony with the Greater Good, if you harmonise physically here in your body with what you believe to be a good way of life and if you take action which makes you feel good, you will always be moving along the path in harmony with the good.”

It could make you feel good to click on the DONATE button on and help Nkosinathi Xipula to change the world, one child at a time. Then you can join this Gift of God make “What have you done today to make you feel proud?” your theme song as well.

Actor.

Gailene joined the team through the Actor Training Programme funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund. She is hilarious and a great asset to the team.

Long hours of rehearsal and time away from home? A good leader? A passion about children and making a better South Africa? A delightful sense of humour?

Actually, Gaillene Isaks doesn’t have to do anything. She just has to stand on stage, shrug or raise her eyebrows and she has the audience in stitches!  So, when she delivers her lines, she has the room literally rolling around with laughter. This is one of the reasons why this happy soul adds so much value to the team as they arrest the children’s rapt attention … ensuring that the important messages come through loud and clear.

Gaya, as she is fondly known, is a great conversationalist – in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa. Her fourth language is singing, almost constantly. She is described as ‘the crazy one’ and you never know when she will surprise you next. Her incredible sense of humour is one of the traits which attracted founder, Stuart Palmer’s, attention when he asked her to join the team as an actress and office administrator after she was persuaded by a friend to audition for Lunchbox Theatre in 2012. Her debut appearance was in The Tree Show. However, more recently, her versatility allows her to add value to the Thand’ Impilo Show which covers the serious subject of AIDS and HIV.

Gaillene is Stuart’s right-hand wo-man as they apply themselves to running the show and the serious business of making sure they get enough support to continue the good work and feedback to sponsors on the responsible use of funding. And good work is what this talented lady does wherever she goes.  As a wife and mother of two, her nurturing nature comes through constantly and her fellow actors agree that this ‘clown’ is very caring and passionate about her life’s work.

Gaillene fondly remembers her first Lunchbox Theatre road trip when they went to a festival in Nieu Bethesda. Despite the inconvenience of no cell phone reception and water frozen in the tap, she was warmed by the family atmosphere of theatre life and actors. She wishes that Lunchbox Theatre could go to more places and put more smiles on more little faces and is proud of how Lunchbox Theatre do so much with the limited funding they have. She is even more proud of her boss, Stu and says he is the kind of leader everyone wants! “I don’t think I can adequately describe this great leader, but I do want to say … Thank you for taking a chance on me, Stu!”

“Lunchbox Theatre brings so much joy to kids and it teaches everyone who sees our shows. If I had a Lunchbox Theatre in my life when I was growing up, I think I would have been an even better person.” Says Gayla. I feel so proud when kids just see the logo on our vehicle and get super excited. When they meet up with us actors in the community, they love to say one of our lines or sing our songs. Lunchbox Theatre is a blessing to our kids, including my own, as they learn and understand things so much better when we act the messages out on stage and they stay with the kids long after we have left.”

If you are heartened by Gaillene Isak’s story please consider supporting the actors and children by engaging a show or clicking on the DONATE button.  A small monthly donation will result in a lot of smiles.

Actor & Model.

Ntombizodwa Ntoni (Zodwa) started at Lunchbox Theatre in 2018 as an assistant to Amanda Valela’s ASAP classes in local Plettenberg Bay schools. She ran her own dance classes in 2019 and 2020. She is a talented and aspiring actress with a passion for the arts. Zodwa is also a model and won Miss Charity 2018. She loves to work with kid’s and help her Community.