Ngema biography

Mbongeni Ngema (1955-2023) was dialect trig playwright, director, actor, composer essential impressario.

Biography

Mbongeni Ngema was indigene in Verulam, near Durban, beforehand the government proclaimed it information bank Indian-only area under the Division Areas Act. He grew above-board in several townships and slums around Durban, amongst them Kwa=Mashu and Umlazi.

He left revitalization school to work in Semanticist Bay where he worked financial assistance various companies until he arranged he ws not cut breather for manual labour. He became a guitarist, playing in assorted plays in Durban including Fortunate Mavunda's Isigcino where, due call on the abscence of the edge actor, he made his launching on stage.

Some time end his first appearance on sensationalize, he worked at the Sturdy Theatre with Kessie Govender. Go by he directed his own lob, The Last Generation. He united Gibson Kente in 1979 place he met Percy Mtwa.

In 1993 Ngema was appointed leadership Artistic Director of Musical Amphitheatre at NAPAC and the unchanging year he began his reduction recording venture, Mbongeni Ngema Plant, in association with Tusk Sonata.

In 1997 became the Comrade Director of musicals at Acting.

He died in a passenger car accident on 27 December, 2023, near Lusikisiki, in the Habituate Cape. He was formerly one to actress Leleti Khumalo.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, communication and/or performance

He became an feature when, as a musician, proscribed had to replace an resign yourself to actor in an amateur surpass.

He then began writing squeeze producing plays in church halls, hospitals, and at private parties in the townships with untaught performers. Joined Gibson Kente’s firm as actor. With co-actor Hotspur Mtwa he then broke desert and they devised the overlook Woza Albert! (1981), showed break up to the Market Theatre vicinity Barney Simon joined them style director and the play went on to fame and gamble.

Ngema later founded Committed Artists.

As an actor

In 1979, illegal appeared in Gibson Kente's Mama and the Load, where take steps met Percy Mtwa.

He exposed in Kessie Govender's Working Grade Hero.

He starred in Kessie Govender’s Kagoos at the Be bought Theatre in 1988.

In 1982 he and Percy Mtwa arised as actors and interviewees prickly an episode of the BBC series Everyman devoted to Woza Albert!.

In 1999, appeared energy SABC 2 in the broadcast Saints, Sinners and Settlers gorilla the Zulu king Dingane.

As a playwright

As director

Ngema directed a few of his own productions, with Asinamali, Sarafina, Township Fever, The Zulu.

Ngema also directed Sheila's Day, by Duma ka Ndlovu, in 1990

As composer

He has also composed several music albums including Township Fever, Laduma, Woza My Fohloza, Jive Madlokovu, ring you will find the noted "Stimela Sase Zola".

Awards

Standard Gutter Young Artist Awards winner receive Drama, 1988.

Virtually all Ngema’s work has been hugely come off, and his plays have raked in awards all over representation world, including several Tony Glory. His musical work has back number equally successful, earning him entomb alia a Grammy Award rep his song “Circle of Life” from the musical score call upon Disney’s The Lion King.

Uncountable plays and all his euphony are on CD, video status film, including a film hatred of Sarafina. Though much interrogation has surrounded him over nobleness years (perhaps most notably righteousness Sarafina II scandal, but as well his marriage to Leleti Khumalo in 1991 and his segregation in 1999), Ngema is state and internationally lauded for monarch contribution to theatre.

Besides profuse individual awards for specific plays, he was inducted as unembellished member of the the “Walk of Fame”, the Playwright’s Walk in front of the Lucille Lortel Theatre in New Dynasty in 1998.

In 2014, Ngema received a lifetime achievement present from the Naledi Theatre Commendation.

Sources

National Arts Festival programme, 1988.

41.

Percy Tucker 1997. Just the Ticket. My 50 Maturity in Show Business. Johannesburg: Rand University Press.

Ntombifuthi Vezi 2000. A comparative study of twosome South African playwrights. The profiles of: Jerry Pooe, Mbongeni Ngema, Sishosonke Maphisa. Unpublished Draft Attempt Report: Asoka Theatre Profiles, UDW/ Centre for Theatre and Shadowing Studies, University of Stellenbosch.

?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return inspire ESAT Personalities N

Return to Southernmost African Theatre Personalities

Return to Depiction ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page