Mike van Graan's double bill at the Artscape Arena

Brothers in Blood, which premiered at the Market Theatre in 2009 and won the 2010 Naledi Theatre Award for Best New South African Play, is a human drama that explores the themes of prejudice and xenophobia within a religious setting, and against the background of the activities of PAGAD in the late 1990s, which created much tension in Cape Town. While global events fuel regular newspaper debates and letters to the editor, Brothers in Blood gives a human face to the dilemmas, anxieties, hopes and fears that ordinary people often share, no matter the religious faiths to which they subscribe, or not.

Commissioned by the Charles Diamond Foundation, Brothers in Blood is directed by Greg Homann, an accomplished actor, director, and drama lecturer at Wits University. He has brought together a formidable cast of five: award-winning actor David Dennis portrays the role of Abubaker Abrahams, Kurt Egelhof (Reverend Fredericks), Aimee Valentine (Leila Abrahams), Harrison Makubalo (Fadiel Suleiman), and David Dukas (Brian Cohen).

A country still struggling to heal itself

The second play, Rainbow Scars, premieres in Cape Town and is set in April 1994 when the "Rainbow Nation" is born. Ellen Robinson (Terrry Norton), a suburban mom, adopts Lindiwe Robinson (Kertice Maitisa), a born-free orphan who loses her parents in the "New South Africa". Fast-forward to 2012. Something happens that not only challenges the mother-daughter relationship, but brings to the surface the scars of a country still struggling to heal itself of its divided past. Rainbow Scars explores the complexities of contemporary South African relationships, layered with dollops of humour, and is directed by Lara Bye.

Brothers in Blood and Rainbow Scars are at Cape Town's Artscape Arena until 11 May. Tickets are available from Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat on +27 (0)21 421 7695. For the double bill all Tuesday and Sunday performances are discounted at R60 per ticket. Pensioner and student discount with proof of ID qualify for R50 tickets at all performances. All other performances are at R85 per ticket. Block bookings of 10 or more are discounted at R75 per ticket.