No Child Left Behind.

Welcome to class, ladies! Your teacher is brimming with energy, and is very charming and witty! Also, the apartheid referendum is coming up soon because it's 1992 in South Africa. At thirty minutes long and free, you have no reason not to see No Child Left Behind this Fringe.... full review

At an infectious, inciteful and exciting 30 minutes, 'No Child Left Behind" is one of those Fringe shows that you might not find unless you stumble upon it. But, seek it out, because this is a thrilling theatre nugget and you need to know who Makha Mthembu is. See this.... full review

No Child Left Behind is a beautifully acted piece that digs deep into human prejudice and apartheid while still being witty and lively. The balance and gravity that Makha has is truly captivating to watch. ... full review

No Child Left Behind is an innovative and refreshing piece that keeps the audience immersed and completely engaged. Performed by the captivating Makha Mthembu, this piece transports the audience, settles them into the world of the play, and educates them in a seamless and thoroughly entertaining manner.... full review

As soon as you enter the theatre you immediately feel swooped into a classroom. What occurs after the teachers enter the space is a whirlpool of unexpected emotions as you begin to understand, the heartbreaking realities of apartheid. We all have heard the legend of Nelson Mandela but not so familiar is the story of the children of apartheid, who group trying to understand how was their country, not theirs? How they maneuvered with white voices echoing and stealing their rights. In a short amount of time you learn many South African truths, you hear history in Mathka’s voice and you begin to see just how funny the absurd can be if it didn’t want to make you cry. ... full review

Funny and sharply written solo show “No Child Left Behind,” written and performed by Makha Mthembu, focuses on a South African girls' school teacher whose students are being taught during Apartheid in South Africa during the time of Nelson Mandela's recent release, new times of desegregation, and just prior to voting on the referendum in 1992. The class opens with their national anthem, as any class in any country might do, which sets the tone for a complacent, but enthusiastic, political reverence by their instructor that is both chilling and familiar. Within her struggle to explain the coming referendum to her students is exhibited a series of veiled—and not so veiled—elements of long term, deep-seated racism, and general short-mindedness.... full review

"No Child Left Behind" is a forceful twenty-minutes of terror, humor, and history. Makha does an incredible job of boiling down the entirety of one schoolteacher's identity and prejudices into a single moment in her life.... full review

Everyone needs to see this show! Thank you Makha for sharing your story and life experience with the world! And thank you for blessing us with your TALENTED GIFT of acting. So well performed!!... full review