Isidlamlilo - The Fire Eater

Isidlamlilo - The Fire Eater is a one-woman play by Neil Coppen and Mpume Mthombeni.

Also found as Isidlamlilo - Fire Eater

The original text

Set in a downtown womens' hostel in Durban, it follows the story of sixty-something Zenzile Maseko, a partially disabled grandmother, declared dead by the Home Affairs' decrepit system. Zenzile, we soon discover, operated as one of the IFP’s most feared assassins (nicknamed Impundulu/The lightning bird) in the build-up to the 1994 South African elections. Charting critical events in the Natal's post-1994 trajectory through to its present day floods and insurrections, the story not only offers an insightful look at the eddying cycles of violence and revenge that play out across generations, but is foremostly a story of identity, redemption and resilience.

Besides local performances in South Africa, the play also toured widely abroad, with performances at festivals such as the Noorderzon festival in Netherlands, La Bâtie-Festival de Genève in Switzerland and Kampnagel International Summer Festival in Hamburg, Germany.

The text was published by Wits University Press in 2024, with a foreword by Kira Irwin. The play has received numerous awards,m among them eight Naledi Theatre Awards since its premiere.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

2022: Premiered to rave reviews by Empatheatre at the National Arts Festival, directed by Neil Coppen and performed by Mpume Mthombeni

2022: Performed at the Sneddon Theatre, Durban, by Empatheatre, directed by Neil Coppen and performed by Mpume Mthombeni.

2023: Performed at the Market Theatre by Empatheatre, directed by Neil Coppen and performed by Mpume Mthombeni from 20 July to 6 August.

2023: Performed at the Hilton Arts Festival, Kwa-Zulu Natal, in August by Empatheatre, directed by Neil Coppen and performed by Mpume Mthombeni.

2025: Performed at the KKNK Festival, Ouudtshoorn, by Empatheatre, directed by Neil Coppen and performed by Mpume Mthombeni, from 1 to 3 April. Set design by Greg King and lighting design by Tina le Roux.

2025: Performed at the Baxter Theatre (though billed as Isidlamlilo - Fire Eater) by Empatheatre, directed by Neil Coppen and performed by Mpume Mthombeni from 9-20 April. Set design by Greg King and lighting design by Tina le Roux.

2025: Performed in the HMS Bloemhof Skoolsaal at the Woordfees, Stellenbosch, by Empatheatre, directed by Neil Coppen and performed by Mpume Mthombeni, from 1 to 3 April.28 September to 1 October. Set design by Greg King and lighting design by Tina le Roux.