The Sewing Machine, starring Sandra Prinsloo, and Normality, with Pedro Kruger, open at the Baxter on 16 October.

Hit shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Sewing Machine and Normality will be staged in South Africa for the first time, at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio. The shows run until 31 October and 10 November respectively.

Presented by Hennie van Greunen of Wordsmith's Theatre Factory, the two productions will run in repertoire with performances on alternate nights. There are nine performances of Normality which closes on 31 October and the same for The Sewing Machine, which ends on 10 November. Both productions start at 7pm nightly with selected matinees at 3pm.

Sandra Prinsloo, a darling of South African theatre,  has breathed exquisite life into the beautiful character which has captured the hearts of audiences all over South Africa in this powerful drama which combines strong writing, pitch perfect delivery and an intense physicality. The play won the Nagtegaal Playwright's Competition in March 2009 and also two Fleur du Cap awards - one for Best Performance by an Actress (Prinsloo) and one for Best New South African Script.

Normality is Hennie van Greunen's inspiring one-hander which stars the acclaimed entertainer and actor Pedro Kruger, directed by Shirley Ellis. It received five 5-star reviews as well as the fringereview.com Hidden Gem award at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Normality is a simple love story between Alex, whose body has been ravaged by Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Lisa, a reporter who refuses to fall for Alex's scathing, self-deprecating humour and looks past the skewed body to see the man hiding there. The story is hysterically funny in parts and devastatingly sad in others.

The Stage decsribed it as "A brilliantly realised multi-layered production that plays deftly with our perception of normality while managing to be rippingly entertaining at the same time".

Booking for The Sewing Machine and Normality is through Computicket on 0861 915 8000, or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet. Both shows are at 7pm nightly.

Normality will be performed on 17, 19, 20, 26, 27, 30 and 31 October and at 3pm on 21 and 28 October and The Sewing Machine on 23, 24 October and 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and 10 November and at 3pm on 4 November. Ticket prices are R95 and R160 for both productions.