NAPO Masheane, the performance poet who has recently put thought-provoking plays on the South African stage, is back at it again. This time her new play is inspired by what happens after dark in our inner cities, far from glaring eyes.

Masheane is known for much-talked about feminist-inclined productions such as My Bum Is Genetic Deal With It, The Fat Black Women Sing, Mollo (The Woman In Me), Hair & Comb and the Indigenous Orchestra.

Her new play is Street Lights With Lips.

The play is written and directed by Masheane and choreographed by Deborah Leshika. It will be staged in collaboration with the University of Pretoria's drama department.

"Street Lights With Lips is an imaginative piece of dramatised poetry with a cast of 15 talented drama students," Masheane says.

"This choreo-poem is set against the backdrop of the inner city, capturing the imagination of audiences as it walks them through a familiar neighboarhood, using poetic verses and dance to articulate issues that occur only at sunset in our city streets."

The productions asks hard questions about how inner city environments interact with city passers-by and residents after sunset.

For example, what would street lights say if they could talk?

"Imagine that the street lights look at you, call you by your first name, invite you to sit next to them and to converse. Imagine you are no longer just a passer-by, but a friend, a sister, a man, a mother, a street sweeper, a journalist, a street vendor, a prostitute, a schoolgirl, an old man or just a spectator. What will you hear?" Masheane asks.