Google Maps<\/a><\/p>\nUJ Kingsway Campus
\nCorner of Kingsway Ave and
\nUniversity Rd, Auckland Park<\/p>\n
Please note: The University of Johannesburg is a mandatory vaccination site. Proof of vaccination and ID is essential to gain entry onto the premises<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\n
NOTES TO THE EDITOR<\/b><\/p>\n
ABOUT THE CAST<\/b><\/p>\n
Sandisile Dlangalala<\/b><\/p>\n
Sandi Dlangalala is an actor, physical theatre practitioner, lyricist, and front man from Ladysmith, KZN. He graduated from Rhodes University with an honours in Contemporary Performance and Choreography under the tutelage of Andrew Buckland and Juanita Finestone-Praeg. His professional debut came in 2015 when he worked as a performer for the Eastern Cape based theatre company, Ubom!, and in the same year, toured his choreography work, \u2018Douche\u2019.<\/i>\u00a0Since moving to Johannesburg he has appeared in various National Children’s Theatre productions.<\/p>\n
Dolly Louw<\/b><\/p>\n
Dolly Louw is a vibrant seasoned performer who has been gracing the musical theatre stage since 2007. After completing her studies at Tshwane University of Technology, she performed in 9 of Janice Honeyman\u2019s pantomimes and various other theatre productions including award winning shows \u2018King Kong\u2019 and \u2018The Color Purple\u2019. To add to her impressive theatre resume, Dolly Louw has also appeared in several television soapies and numerous television commercials.<\/p>\n
MoMo Matsunyane<\/b><\/p>\n
Kgomotso \u201cMoMo\u201d Matsunyane obtained an Honours Degree in Dramatic Arts from Wits University in 2012, majoring in Performance as well as Film and Television. MoMo she has performed in numerous plays, films and television shows and has subsequently been nominated for and won several awards including: Best Actress in A Leading Role (\u2018Have You Seen Zandile?\u2019–<\/i>\u00a0Naledi Theatre Awards), Best Supporting Actress (\u2018Ankobia\u2019 –<\/i>\u00a0SA Theatre Magazine Awards), Best Ensemble (\u2018Animal Farm’ – Naledi Theatre Awards), Best Supporting Role (\u2018Tsotsi The Musical\u2019\u00a0–<\/i>\u00a0Fleur Du Cap Awards) amongst many others.<\/p>\n
Sibusiso Mxosana<\/b><\/p>\n
Sibusiso Mxosana is an actor, singer, dancer born who hails from Queenstown in the Eastern Cape. He has graced the stage in numerous productions including: ‘Carmen’ and ‘La Traviata’ with Cape Town Opera, ‘Spring and Fall’ with Cape Town City Ballet and Veronica Paeper’s ‘A Spartacus of Africa National Tour’ with the South African National Dance Trust. He was a swing in the Joburg Theatre run of \u2018West Side Story\u2019, played the Cornet Man in \u2018Funny Girl\u2019, and originated the role of Taki in the revival of \u2018King Kong\u2019 with The Fugard Theatre. He recently toured internationally as Harrison in \u2018Chicago\u2019 the musical.<\/p>\n
Manakomba Ndimande<\/b><\/p>\n
Manakomba is ambitious, hardworking, and talented. In the course of her school career, she participated in arts festivals every year and used her spare time to learn Latin American and Ballroom dance. Manankomba has appeared in numerous stage productions including \u2018Freedom\u2019 the musical; \u2018Khwezi Say Her Name\u2019; \u2018The Fat Black Women Sing\u2019; \u2018Tsogo\u2019, \u2018The Rise of Charlotte Maxeke\u2019 and many more. Manakomba has shared her magnificent voice with many audiences across the world as a solo vocalist.<\/p>\n
Siphiwe Nkabinde<\/b><\/p>\n
Siphiwe Sip Nkabinde is a Zulu traditional vocalist, songwriter, actor, voice artist, dancer, and musician. He was born in Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal. Siphiwe Nkabinde has no previous professional training, but his sheer talent and hard work had earned him many roles in productions such as Umoja \u2013 \u2018The Spirit of Togetherness\u2019, \u2018Kwela Bafana\u2019, \u2018iLembe\u2019, \u2018Madiba African Opera\u2019, \u2018Exit Exist\u2019, \u2018Music in The Air\u2019, \u2018Amandla\u2019 Cultural Ensemble, \u2018King Kong\u2019, and children\u2019s theatre productions \u2018Library Lion\u2019 and \u2018Mr. Popper\u2019s Penguins\u2019 to name a few. Siphiwe has also appeared in numerous television shows.<\/p>\n
Mphumzi Nontshinga<\/b><\/p>\n
Mphumzi hails from East London, a small city in the Eastern Cape. He is the first person in his family to pursue a career in the arts, having graduated from the University of Cape Town with a BA (hons) in Theatre and Performance with Distinction in Acting. Mphumzi is a Fleur du Cap Award Nominee and a Standard Bank Ovation Award Winner. This triple threat performer has appeared in numerous stage and screen productions including \u2018Sophiatown\u2019, Lorca\u2019s \u2018Yerma\u2019, \u2018Umsi and Sainthood\u2019 which scooped the 2018 Standard Bank Ovation Award to list a few.<\/p>\n
Kensiwe Mathebula Tshabalala<\/b><\/p>\n
Kensiwe Tshabalala is a performing artist (dancer, singer, actor, choreographer) who has performed on the stages of Europe, New York and Los Angeles. Kensiwe obtained her Musical Theatre Degree from the Tshwane University of Technology (2010) after which she worked in the South African theatre and television industry, culminating in nominations from the Fleur du Kaap and Naledi Awards (2014). She obtained her master\u2019s degree in Acting for Film at the New York Film Academy (2015, 2017). She acted on the off-Broadway stages of New York (2016) whilst working as a dance teacher and choreographer.<\/p>\n
ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM<\/b><\/p>\n
Janice Honeyman: Director<\/b><\/p>\n
Janice Honeyman has worked consistently in most genres of theatre, locally and abroad for 50 years. Her work as director ranges from popular productions, opera, operetta, musicals, bawdy romps, children\u2019s theatre, and educational drama to the great classics and plays that deal with a deep concern for social issues. Janice was a founder member of the Market Theatre Company, she was on the Market Theatre Board, and was Resident Director there for a few years. In the early days of TV in South Africa she was presenter on, the popular \u2018Bangalory Time\u2019, and her play \u2018Tales from the Story Spaza Shop\u2019 \u2013 original stories from Africa is published and is great fun for children and adults alike. Janice is well-known for her annual Pantomimes. She has also directed many musicals including \u2018Hair, La Cage Aux Folles\u2019, the internationally acclaimed \u2018Showboat\u2019, and recently (2018) the highly acclaimed \u2018The Color Purple\u2019. Music, Opera and Operetta are a great passion of hers, the last being a colourful and captivating Africanized \u2018The Merry Widow\u2019.<\/p>\n
Zolani Shangase: Producer, Lyricist and Music Supervisor<\/b><\/p>\n
Zolani Shangase is a Pietermaritzburg-born award-winning director, writer, business role player and Naledi Award nominated performing artist. He received formal training at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in the musical theatre department. He is a Director at Madevu Entertainment, an independent company focused on collaboration between young creatives, developing new works and innovating for the future. Madevu premiered their flagship production \u2018On The Road to Music\u2019 at Joburg Theatre in 2019. In 2020, Madevu Entertainment secured a residency with UJ Arts & Culture to develop \u2018Hlakanyana\u2019. Zolani made his West End debut in the \u2018Lion King\u2019 as ensemble and a cover for Simba. Zolani\u2019s other performing credits include, Daz in \u2018Kill Move Paradise\u2019, Harpo understudy and dance captain in \u2018The Color Purple\u2019, \u2018West Side Story\u2019 and the titular role of Jack in \u2018Jack and the Beanstalk\u2019 all at Joburg Theatre. In 2021, Zolani along with business partner Michael William Wallace directed a short music film of \u2018The Sounds of Hlakanyana\u2019 which won Best Public Performance at the Humanities and Social Sciences Awards 2022. Zolani is alumni of the Business and Arts South Africa\u2019s Scale Up programme and The Common Purpose programme for Emerging Leaders.<\/p>\n
Michael William Wallace: Producer<\/b><\/p>\n
Self-made creative entrepreneur, Michael William Wallace, started his career as a performing artist. Acquiring his accreditation from Trinity College of London, Michael went on to perform in various theatre productions locally and internationally. Such productions include the European tour of \u2018Show Boat\u2019, the Fugard theatre’s acclaimed \u2018Rocky Horror\u2019<\/i>\u00a0show, \u2018Cabaret\u2019, \u2018West Side Story\u2019<\/i>\u00a0and Showtimes\u2019 \u2018Priscilla Queen of the desert\u2019. Michael has starred in several commercials for brands such as BMW, Samsung, Heineken, and Nintendo worldwide campaigns reaching over 28 million views globally. After starting Madevu Entertainment,<\/i>\u00a0his own production company with business partner Zolani Shangase in 2017, Michael went on to produce and direct numerous projects.<\/i>\u00a0With a residency at the University of Johannesburg and a new partnership with BASA (Business & Arts South Africa) his journey in becoming a mentor and facilitator in the creative industry began. Michael\u2019s need to change and evolve the South African creative industry remains his primary and ongoing ambition.<\/p>\n
Dionne Song:<\/b>\u00a0Core Creative and Lyricist<\/b><\/p>\n
Petite in stature and big in bubbling persona, Tshwane born Dionne Song, studied Musical Theatre at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) obtaining her B. Tech Honours, Cum Laude, which layered her prowess as a performer and creative. She is a SAFTA (Beyonce in the Mnet Sitcom the \u2018Coconuts\u2019) and Naledi Award Nominee (Breakthrough category). Dionne\u2019s multiplicative skills are demonstrated in her versatility as a practitioner. First appearing on our screens as teen presenter, she has since starred in commercials for Vodacom, Halls, KFC U.K. Stage Productions include \u2018Little Shop of Horrors\u2019 and Cape Town Opera House\u2019s U.K. touring production of \u2018Showboat\u2019. She is part of the Afro-balkan band Bombshelter Beast who have been featured on CNN Africa and performed at Standard Bank Jazz Festival. She upholds her ethos of \u201cExuberant Expression\u201d developing her songwriting ability in various projects namely co-writing a song for the female lead cast of South African Film \u2018Flatland\u2019 which premiered at the The Toronto Film Festival (TIFF).<\/p>\n
Viwe Mkizwana: Composer, arranger, and co-Musical Director<\/b><\/p>\n
An award winner, endorsee of Yamaha Global Music SA, multi-instrumentalist, Viwe Mkizwana hails from the Eastern Cape. He began playing Classical Double Bass at the East Rand School of the Arts at the age of seventeen. In 2008 Mkizwana\u2019s love of music led him to the Tshwane University of Technology, where he successfully obtained his National Diploma in Jazz and Popular Music in 2011. He completed his Bachelor of Music Honors degree at the University of Pretoria in 2016, currently a master\u2019s student at University of Pretoria.<\/p>\n
Dale Ray: Co-Musical Director<\/b><\/p>\n
Dale graduated from the Campus of Performing Arts in 2010 with a higher diploma in music performance and music production. He then joined International Production Company, Showtime Australia, for whom he would work as a multi-instrumentalist and musical director for 3 years. With Showtime, Dale performed in hundreds of shows touring the world. This includes the long-standing show \u2018The Greatest Love of All\u2019 featuring Belinda Davids. In 2014, Dale ventured into musical theatre as an actor\/singer\/dancer. He has since been cast in several musicals including a few of Janice Honeyman’s famous Pantomimes. Dale then shifted to working as the band leader in these pantomimes, after which he would move on to becoming the musical director. Dale is contracted yet again as the Musical Director for Janice\u2019s 2022 pantomime. This will mark the 8th consecutive \u2018panto\u2019 Dale has been involved in. In 2016 Dale founded the Pty. Dale Ray Productions.<\/p>\n
Khaya Ndlovu: Choreographer<\/b><\/p>\n
Khaya Ndlovu is an entrepreneur, choreographer, performer, and founder of Khayalethu Movement. She is also a founder and facilitator of Ubunye Kreatives an NPC that focuses on intersecting academic methodology with creative mythology assisting children to better their application in the schooling system and their everyday life. She has over 14 years of professional experience in the creative arts working for established companies such as Kmad Dance Company, Dada Masilo Productions, and so forth. She is a certified Associate One DanceCor teacher and has been teaching at numerous dance studios, art institutions, and public\/private schools within Johannesburg and Pretoria, where she focuses on dance methodology and techniques with children. She has choreographed various works such as ‘ ‘Silent Prints’, \u2018Say her name\u2019, \u2018I am\u2019, and ‘Inwele’ that have been performed in theatres locally and internationally on commercial platforms and have been used for social awareness campaigns. Currently, she is the choreographer for the upcoming musical production ‘Hlakanyana’.<\/p>\n
Ntuthuko Mbuyazi: Sound Engineer<\/b><\/p>\n
Ntuthuko Mbuyazi is a Durban born Multi-Award Sound Designer, a pure \u201cSound Addict\u201d. He achieved his Diploma in Audio Engineering at Cape Audio College and is currently working Full Time at The Market Theatre. He was launched into Sound Design in 2016, and his work was nominated in the 2017 Naledi Theatre Awards for Best Sound Design – \u201c6 Characters in Search of An Author\u201d, directed by Sibusiso Mamba. He was further nominated in the 2018 Naledi Theatre Awards for Best Original Score\/Arrangement\/Music Adaptation for \u201cItsoseng\u201d, directed by Lesedi Job. He then further received Double Nomination in the 2019 Naledi Theatre Awards for Best Sound Design for \u201cFlorence\u201d, directed by Greg Homann (which he Won) and Best Sound Design for \u201cShoes and Coups\u201d, directed by Palesa Mazamisa. He shares a Bessies Award with the legendary Nhlanhla Mahlangu for Outstanding Music Composition\/Sound Design for Cion Requiem of Ravel\u2019s Bolero by Gregory Maqoma\/Vuyani Dance Theatre. Sound Design has seen Ntuthuko Mbuyazi Tour locally and internationally.<\/p>\n
ABOUT UJ ARTS & CULTURE<\/b><\/p>\n
UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA) produces and presents world-class student and professional arts programmes aligned to the UJ vision of an international university of choice, anchored in Africa, dynamically shaping the future. A robust range of arts platforms are offered on all four UJ campuses for students, staff, alumni, and the general public to experience and engage with emerging and established Pan-African and international artists drawn from the full spectrum of the arts.<\/p>\n
In addition to UJ Arts & Culture, FADA (www.uj.ac.za\/fada<\/a>) offers programmes in eight creative disciplines, in Art, Design and Architecture, as well as playing home to the NRF SARChI Chair in South African Art & Visual Culture, and the Visual Identities in Art & Design Research Centre. The Faculty has a strong focus on sustainability and relevance, and engages actively with the dynamism, creativity, and diversity of Johannesburg in imagining new approaches to art and design education.<\/p>\nABOUT MADEVU ENTERTAINMENT<\/b><\/p>\n
Madevu Entertainment is a locally based in Pietermaritzburg production company consisting of creative thinkers and innovators. Producing original work(s) in the form of theatre, film and music by means of collaboration. Founded by two queer creative artists, Zolani Treasure Star Shangase and Michael William Wallace, the primary focus of Madevu is to create sustainable and equitable employment opportunities for local artists by devising creative concepts into new Africa-focused works. The secondary focus is to bridge a gap between local and international creatives and stakeholders who can help open the world to our creative community.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
To mark the celebration of Africa Day, UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment present\u00a0\u2018Hlakanyana\u2019\u00a0 at the UJ Arts Centre set to open on 25 May.
\nAfter a long development journey<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uj.ac.za\/artsdev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uj.ac.za\/artsdev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uj.ac.za\/artsdev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uj.ac.za\/artsdev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uj.ac.za\/artsdev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/web.uj.ac.za\/artsdev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":187,"href":"https:\/\/web.uj.ac.za\/artsdev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185\/revisions\/187"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uj.ac.za\/artsdev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uj.ac.za\/artsdev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uj.ac.za\/artsdev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uj.ac.za\/artsdev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}