Jason Wheeler

Jason Wheeler (2001-) is a playwright and director.

Biography

Born in 2001, he completed an Honours Degree (Cum Laude) at AFDA in Johannesburg in 2023, majoring in Live Performance and Theatremaking. He was appointed as an Associate Playwright at The Market Theatre in 2024, where he was mentored by Maralin Vanrenen and also had the privilege of collaborating with other theatre veterans including Vanessa Cooke and Palesa Mazamisa.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and or/performance

He has written a number of plays, often directing them himself. They include:

2019: Wrote, directed and performed in Birds of a Feather in his final year. This was staged at the National Arts Festival.

2024/2023: He co-wrote and performed in 4:59 which was directed by MoMo Matsunyane. Staged at the National Arts Festival, RedFest and at the Wits Theatre Complex.

2025: He wrote and directed The Queer in the Queue which was staged at The Market Theatre.

2026: No Filter

He wrote The Marvelous Mr Moffie which was one of three plays to win the STAND Global South Playwright Award. It was staged as a reading, directed by Jason Wheeler with Vanessa Cooke, Tessa Jubber, Joël Leonard, S'boniso Thombeni and Ter Holmann. The script was subsequently adapted into a radio play that aired on SAFm.

He was one of six playwrights invited to be part of the first version of Jeremy Goldstein's project This is Who I Am[1] at the Market Theatre with Palesa Mazamisa, Gina Schmukler, Hannah van Tonder and Lehelehonolo Shale.

As a director, he and Maralin Vanrenen co-curated and co-directed No Filter, a showcase of queer writing, as part of The Market Theatre’s inaugural Queer Festival in 2026.

featuring writing by Sibahle Mabaso, Ally de Beer, Prev Reddy,  Renos Spanoudes, Toni Morkel, Mogau Makitla, Phumlani Magadla, Sam Kentridge, Lebogang Mlangeni, Richard Kaplan, Karyn Ngobese, Asemahle Mgayi, Tshegofatgo Makhafola, Roland du Preez, Paulina Mothibe, Sandulela Asanda and Nyeleti Mushwana.

Info

As part of The Market Theatre’s inaugural Queer Festival, NO FILTER: New Queer Writing brings together 18 compelling new works from emerging and established queer writers. Fresh, funny, heartwarming, provocative and unapologetically relevant, these short pieces celebrate the diversity, complexity and richness of queer experiences. Curated and directed by Maralin Vanrenen and Jason Wheeler, NO FILTER creates a vibrant platform for bold storytelling and authentic voices, exploring themes of love, identity, belonging, resilience and joy.

Performance History

2026: Performed at the inaugural Queer Festival at The Market Theatre, Curated and Directed by Jason Wheeler and Maralin Vanrenen. Performed by Bruce Alexander, Ally de Beer, Vanessa Cooke, Ter Hollmann, Qondiswa James, Tessa Jubber, Sam Kentridge, Joël Leonard, Mogau Makitla, Sami Maseko, Siyasanga Nkata, Karyn Ngobese, Jonathan Taylor, Prev Reddy, Alex Sono and Damien Wantenaar.

Sources https://markettheatre.co.za/no-filter-new-queer-writing/ https://markettheatre.co.za/radical-joy-awaits-at-the-market-theatres-inaugural-queer-festival/