Theatre: Ms B-haved
4 May at 19:00
Paul Roos-teater
A single lollipop meant to brighten a student’s day ends up leaving a bitter taste in a Grade 3 teacher’s career.
Ms B-haved, a simple one-woman show produced by The Drama Factory, follows the sudden downfall of a dedicated primary school teacher named Sally Burkurtt. Played with great humour by South African actress Sue Diepeveen, Sally takes the audience on a true emotional roller-coaster through the sudden mess caused by her suspension from Littleman Junior School.
The play keeps the audience completely hooked by saving the true reason for her workplace suspension until the very end of the performance. This structural choice works wonderfully. Before we find out what actually happened, we get a real chance to see who Sally is – a loving, passionate educator who is adored by her young students.
When we finally learn the truth, the moment hits hard and feels almost unbelievable: She is facing serious trouble simply for giving a lollipop to a student whose parents strictly banned refined sugar.
Throughout the production, Sally often speaks directly to the audience members in the room. At first, breaking the fourth wall feels a bit unusual and uncomfortable, but it quickly becomes one of the very best parts of the entire play.
It feels as though she is pulling us straight into her inner dialogue, openly sharing the real pain and frustration behind her pending disciplinary outcome. This creates a clever contrast with hilariously scripted scenes, where we watch her struggle through conversations with difficult parents, bad telephone signal, and weak Wi-Fi connections in her home office.
Held in the small, cozy Paul Roos-teater, the tight space makes the whole story feel deeply personal. Beyond the drama, the show was surprisingly funny. Diepeveen had the audience laughing constantly as she would randomly burst out in song, encounter relatable technology struggles, and even a spot-on impersonation of TikTok sensation Nara Smith.
When the show ended, the appreciative audience gave Diepeveen a warm and well-deserved standing ovation. In a fun final twist, every person was handed a lollipop at the door as they walked out.
Has the teacher truly learned her lesson? Probably not – but as this heartwarming play shows, a little extra sweetness never hurt anyone. If you love a relatable, funny story, Ms B-haved is definitely worth a watch.