FIRST-YEAR’S CONCERT 2026: IMAGINATION TAKES THE STAGE

Amari Maré & Abygail Smit

@amari.mare & @abysmit06

 

Lights, camera, action! The auditorium buzzed with excitement, on and off stage. Ecstasy from first-years as they rattled with adrenaline before each act. Parents and students were proud to be part of the experience as they rooted for their respective residences.

 

SLEEP ONE

 

A smoking palm tree, a secret script and choreographed dances — this was the opening for the 2026 First-years’ concert. To set the tone for the night, Sleep 1 entertained the audience with iconic lines and fun music, which was clearly enjoyed by both the actors and the audience. It was a great way to start the evening.

 

 

 

 

SLEEP TWO

 

Who doesn’t love Shrek? Shrek in Potchefstroom, however, added an even more relatable storyline to every child’s favourite movie. Lord Farquaad and the Fairy Godmother, being crowd favourites, searched through our student town looking for Fiona and Shrek. Donkey also made an appearance, giving the ogre couple a tour of our famous Bult area. Sleep 2 didn’t disappoint and took a wildly popular movie and made it more relatable to students than ever.

 

 

 

 

SLEEP THREE

 

Philomena Cunk, Dora and her gang, Cleopatra, Aladdin and the Genie — who would have thought that the combination of these characters would put on a great show? Well, Sleep 3 did! With an energetic atmosphere on stage, Sleep 3 received the first and biggest standing ovation for their performance. From dancing to singing, it was an all-round great show to watch, leaving the audience excited for what was to come.

 

 

 

 

SLEEP FOUR

 

The crowd’s jaws hit the ground multiple times as Sleep 4 tumbled through the air on a see-saw-like platform. This fast-paced act starred the Queen of Hearts, Peter Pan, Captain Hook and his right-hand man Smee, Tinkerbell and Snow White (with a few of her dwarfs) – each with a modern-day twist to their character.

 

 

 

 

SLEEP FIVE

 

Night at the Museum and Sherlock Holmes in one production. Sleep 5 took the audience through the investigation of a death, a dance routine with exhibits gliding across the floor and the angelic voices of the choir leading the audience through the act.

 

 

 

 

SLEEP SIX

 

Elphaba, the Fairy Godmother, the Joker and Voldemort —all on the road to find “true love” on Villain Island. Two new bombshells enter the villa: Gaston and Harley Quinn. Fast forward to the iconic song “Poker Face”, the love story is portrayed through the outfit changes of the dancers, with their fast feet and rhythm. “I Was Made for Loving You Baby” ended the performance on a perfect note as the villains found their perfect match.

 

 

 

 

SLEEP SEVEN

 

This story followed Romeo and Juliet in the underworld of Hades from Hercules. Romeo and Juliet had to find each other, and share a true love’s kiss to escape the underworld, but Hades’ little angel and devil caused drama, which made it difficult for them to find each other.

 

 

 

 

SLEEP EIGHT

 

Humans were no longer scared of monsters. A bored little fairy decided to entertain herself by opening the door separating the monsters and humans, encouraging the monsters that they still had it in them to scare humans. The little wolves, better known as the choir, kept character by itching with fleas and howling.

 

 

 

SLEEP NINE

 

Mzansi-opoly, where you play, get played and get sent to jail — with a chess queen in the middle of it all. The Chess Queen and Mr Monopoly had vocals that sent a shiver through your body. The high-energy popular songs had the crowd moving and singing along; each song explained what was happening on stage and described the feeling of every scene.

 

 

 

 

SLEEP TEN

 

A museum with live paintings, where the iconic Mona Lisa was anxiously awaiting her dream man — one with a farm and a bakkie — but she was not alone. When the curtain fell and rose again, the crowd saw a lonely man, desperate to find the love of his life — Mona Lisa. Break-ins, mystery, love and Vector with his orange jumpsuit. It was all nothing compared to the intimate dancing that Sleep 10 provided the crowd with; their soulful performance won’t be forgotten soon.

 

 

 

 

SLEEP ELEVEN

 

With a unique take on Casper, we watched a play that portrayed Casper as more human than ever before. Building an emotional connection with him, audiences felt sorry for Casper for not being able to scare the family in his house anymore. To bring in some laughter, Sleep 11 portrayed a typical modern-day Afrikaans family.

 

 

 

 

SLEEP TWELVE

 

Taking us all back to the seventies, Sleep 12 took us on a journey of love, where two grandparents told the story of how they met while their granddaughters listened attentively. Music, dance, no rules and short clothing were only the start of what the crowd witnessed in this concert. A guest appearance by the beloved Terry Crews also sparked laughter in the auditorium. What first seemed like a simple love story left members of the crowd wondering if their own grandparents also did the crazy things portrayed in the concert.

 

 

 

SLEEP THIRTEEN

 

As every true South African secretly does, Sleep 13 took wild stereotypes of each South African province and made them compete in the Miss South African Hunger Games. Funny, creative and somewhat relatable, the concert portrayed how each province is viewed from an outside perspective and how each contestant competed for the crown.

 

 

 

 

SLEEP FOURTEEN

 

Sleep 14 took us through a Lion King-like story, where we saw a young lion cub (first-year) entering his residence and learning responsibility for the first time. Bringing back iconic songs from the movie, the play followed the chaotic first week of the lion cub’s life. A crowd favourite was Rafiki, the baboon, who was comically portrayed in the concert.

 

 

 

 

A Closing Remark

 

The First-Years’ Concert was more than a comedic play; it was a chance for first-years to spread their wings and to be part of student life history. Dressing up together and rehearsing until late in the night allowed masks to fall and new friendships to form in the process.

 

Edited by Kyle Bauermeister