It is actually easy to see why a theatre piece like The Suitcase had a sold out five-week tour in the UK.

Adopted from Es'kia Mphahlele's book of the same title, the production opened on Wednesday night at the Market Theatre in Newtown, Johannesburg.

The John Kani Theatre was packed to capacity, with everyone wanting to see the revived play.

And a star-studded cast that includes Siyabonga Thwala, Desmond Dube, John Lata and Masasa Mbangeni emerged in the dark and gave their all.

The Suitcase is a beautiful story that ends in tragedy. It is the story of a young rural couple - Timi (played by Thwala) and Namhla (played by Mbangeni).

The two leave for the city of Umkhumbane despite their family disapproving of their marriage. Timi's wish is to get a job and have a dream wedding.

When they arrive in Umkhumbane, they meet a man known as Obvious Mlotshwa (played by Dube), who gives them a place to stay.

Timi wakes up every day to look for a job but comes back empty handed.

The harsh realities of city life gradually take away his hope of finding a job and becoming the man he wants to be.

Desperate to provide for his pregnant wife, he steals a suitcase left on a bus, an act that dramatically changes his life.

A few minutes later, he is stopped by a police officer who asks for his dompas (pass book). The policeman then demands to see what's inside the suitcase. It is a dead infant.

Timi is arrested and dies in jail three months later. The director of the show, James Ngcobo, deserves a huge round of applause for the adjustments he made to the show.

Those who watched The Suitcase version that won six Naledi Theatre Awards in 2006 will agree that the addition of the music component has made it more powerful.

From acting to singing, everyone was on fire on Wednesday night. The combination of Dube and Lata added an element of humour to the storyline. The girls (Gugu Shezi, Nokukhanya Dlamini and Nomfundo Dlamini) with guitarist Bheki Khoza were amazing too.