The Costume Shop & Musical Theatre Cape Town was born from a lifetime immersed in dance, theatre, film, illustration, costume, design and the performing arts.
At the heart of it all is Vanessa Joubert an artist, dancer, teacher, mentor, designer and mother whose journey has come full circle, bringing together decades of creative and industry experience to help develop the next generation of young performers and creatives.
Vanessa comes from a family of dancers. Her mother was one of the first members of the International Dance Association, later renamed the Association of International Dance Teachers (AIDT). Following in her footsteps, Vanessa completed her Advanced Dance examinations in both RAD and IDTA by the age of 16.
Her creative journey then expanded beyond dance. She completed a National Diploma in Graphic Arts, majoring in Illustration, before realising that her true passion was still rooted in performance. She returned to dance and completed her AIDT teaching qualification.
Vanessa’s career has taken her through some of South Africa’s most exciting creative environments.
At the Pretoria State Theatre, she worked across set design, illustration, storyboarding and set painting. Her commercial and creative work included projects for Sun International, MTN, Ogilvy & Mather and David LaChapelle, while her film and television experience included working in the art department on productions such as Blood Diamond, Hotel Rwanda and The Coconuts television series.
After the birth of her first child, Vanessa stepped away from the film and theatre industry to raise her two daughters, while continuing her creative career as an illustrator for publishers including Macmillan, Oxford University Press and Shuter & Shooter.
When Vanessa moved to Cape Town, she began looking for the right environment for her daughters , one where they could develop not only as performers, but as confident, capable young creatives.
She entered both girls into the South African Championships and personally taught them dance, drama and vocals. They went on to achieve Bronze, Silver and Gold medals across their categories, and both qualified for the World Championships in Anaheim, California.
Unfortunately, the family could not afford to travel to the World Championships.
That experience became a defining moment.
It strengthened Vanessa’s determination to create more opportunities for young performers , to give them the training, confidence, practical experience and creative skills they need so that when opportunities come, they are ready to take them.
Vanessa’s teaching now brings together her experience across dance, drama, acting, vocals, theatre, film and creative production.
She teaches the LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) Musical Theatre syllabus, helping students develop the skills needed to approach musical theatre as a complete performer, combining acting, voice, movement, characterization and storytelling.
Alongside the musical theatre syllabus, Vanessa also offers dedicated classes outside of showcase preparation, with a particular focus on acting for drama and acting for stage.
Students learn that acting for the camera, acting for dramatic performance and acting for the stage are not the same thing. Each requires a different approach to voice, movement, expression, character and audience connection.
Dance training is also an important part of the programme, with classes in:
Jazz • Tap • Contemporary
Whether a student dreams of musical theatre, film, television, dance, drama or simply wants to build confidence through performance, the aim is to give them a broad creative foundation.
No previous experience is required to audition for or join our studio classes.
We believe every young performer has to start somewhere. Our classes are designed to welcome beginners while also giving experienced students the opportunity to continue developing and challenging themselves.
In 2023, Dance South Africa became Musical Theatre Cape Town, marking the beginning of a new chapter.
Vanessa also began telling her father’s life story through a full-length film, Finding Goldfinger.
The production became a family creative project and an opportunity for Vanessa to mentor her eldest daughter, across the filmmaking process including scriptwriting, storyboarding, costume design, prop making, set design, production design and cinematography.
Her youngest daughter, acted in the film while also working behind the scenes as a runner and BTS photographer.
Finding Goldfinger brought together Vanessa’s experience in dance, theatre, film, illustration, design, production and teaching demonstrating just how many different creative skills can come together to tell a story.
Most importantly, it showed Vanessa that the knowledge she had spent a lifetime collecting could be passed on to the next generation.
Vanessa’s daughters have gone on to build their own experience within the entertainment industry.
Ivy has worked on productions for Netflix, Paramount, M-Net and Quizzical Pictures.
Willow has worked on an independent film Just now Jeffrey and appeared in the Netflix series Conversations with a Killer- Charles Manson Tapes
Their journeys have reinforced something Vanessa has always believed:
Young performers need more than talent. They need knowledge, confidence, practical skills, mentorship and opportunities to use what they have learned.
That belief is at the heart of everything we do.
I don’t want you to come here just to learn a dance routine, sing a song or memorise some lines.
I want you to come here and discover yourself.
Maybe you already know you love performing.
Maybe you’re still trying to find your thing.
Maybe you dance in your bedroom, sing when nobody is listening, make up characters, write stories, design costumes, dream about being in films , or maybe you have absolutely no idea what you want to do yet.
That’s okay.
You don’t have to know.
That’s what this is for.
I want to give you a place where you can try things, make mistakes, be brave and find the things that make you light up.
Because sometimes you don’t discover your talent until someone gives you the chance to use it.
For me, musical theatre has never just been about what happens under the lights.
It is the story.
It is the character.
It is the music, the movement, the costumes, the props, the sets, the camera, the people behind the scenes and all the little pieces that come together to create something magical.
I want you to understand all of it.
I want you to dance.
I want you to sing.
I want you to act.
I want you to learn how to build a character and tell a story.
I want you to understand the difference between performing for a camera and performing on a stage.
I want you to explore Jazz, Tap and Contemporary.
I want you to discover costumes, props, set design, production design, filmmaking and cinematography.
And through the LAMDA Musical Theatre syllabus, I want you to develop the confidence and skills to become a stronger, more expressive performer.
But more than anything…
I want you to find your voice.
And please remember this:
You don’t have to be good yet.
You don’t have to have years of dance training behind you.
You don’t have to already know how to act.
You don’t have to be a trained singer.
You don’t have to walk through the door already knowing what you’re doing.
You just have to be willing to try.
No previous experience is required to audition for or join our studio classes.
Everyone starts somewhere.
And I want this to be a place where you can start.
I want you to know that you can build an international standard of skill right here in South Africa.
You can train here.
You can learn here.
You can create here.
You can develop the kind of skills and professional standards that can prepare you for opportunities anywhere in the world.
And then the choice is yours.
Maybe your dream is to build a career right here in South Africa.
Maybe you want to make your mark in Cape Town.
Maybe one day you want to take your talent across the world.
All of those dreams are valid.
What matters to me is that wherever you choose to go, you are ready.
Whether you can afford to travel overseas or you can’t, I never want you to question whether you have been given the skills you need.
Your circumstances should never decide the quality of your training.
The world can be your destination.
But your foundation can be right here.
I also want you to know that there isn’t only one way into the creative world.
You can be the dancer — and become a choreographer.
You can be the actor — and write the story.
You can be the singer — and create the character.
You can love performing — and discover filmmaking, costumes, props, sets, directing or life behind the camera.
There are so many doors.
I want you to know where they are.
The Musical Theatre Lab is where I want you to explore those possibilities.
I want to share what I’ve learned through years of dance, theatre, film, design, storytelling and production — not just what happens on stage, but everything that happens behind it.
I want you to learn by doing.
To create.
To experiment.
To perform.
To make mistakes.
To try again.
To surprise yourself.
And maybe, somewhere along the way, discover something you never knew was inside you.
My dream isn’t simply to create performers.
It’s to create young creatives who believe they can make something happen.
I want you to walk into a room with confidence.
To know your craft.
To tell a story.
To be curious.
To be brave enough to try.
To make your own opportunities.
And when your moment comes…
I want you to be ready.
Because I believe there is something special waiting inside every young creative.
Sometimes it just needs someone to say:
“Come. Try. Let’s see what you can do.”
So that’s what I’m here for.
To teach you.
To guide you.
To challenge you.
To encourage you.
To open doors.
And then…
it’s your turn to shine.
Let’s learn.
Let’s create.
Let’s perform.
Let’s take Cape Town by storm.
Musical Theatre Cape Tow
local and international films and tv shows we have acted in.
Please see Auditions page for entries. Cut off date September 30.
Who Are We
Our Mission
Awards
Experience
Success Story
Who Are We
Our Mission
Awards
Experience
Success Story
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