Gibson Kente - Revision history

Satj: /* As an actor */

2026-06-15T08:31:22Z

As an actor

Satj at 08:30, 15 June 2026

2026-06-15T08:30:44Z

Satj at 08:30, 15 June 2026

2026-06-15T08:30:02Z

Satj: /* Biography */

2026-06-15T08:28:17Z

Biography

Darryl: /* Legacy */

2025-07-01T15:41:37Z

Legacy

Darryl: /* Legacy */

2025-07-01T15:23:25Z

Legacy

Darryl: /* Legacy */

2025-07-01T15:22:35Z

Legacy

Darryl: /* Legacy */

2025-07-01T15:22:25Z

Legacy

Darryl: /* Legacy */

2025-07-01T15:22:08Z

Legacy

Darryl: /* As a playwright and producer */

2025-07-01T15:21:42Z

As a playwright and producer

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 ===As an actor===
-Kente starting as a young performer in [[King Kong]] and a member of [[Union Artists]] at [[Dorkay House]].
+Kente starting as a young performer in ''[[King Kong]]'' and a member of [[Union Artists]] at [[Dorkay House]].
 ===As a playwright and producer===

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Gibson Kente]] (1932-2004) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Kente] was a South African playwright, actor, director, musician, composer, impressario/manager and teacher.
-Fondly known to many as '''"[[Bra Gib]]"''' ("Brother Gib") he was widely recognised to be the foremost black playwright ("the father of township theatre") and one of the leading cultural icons of his time. Also had the nickname '''"Slick Kente"'''.
+Fondly known to many as '''"[[Bra Gib]]"''' ("Brother Gib") he was widely recognised to be the foremost black playwright ("the father of township theatre") and one of the leading cultural icons of his time. Also had the nickname '''"[[Slick Kente]]"'''.
 == Biography ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''[[Gibson Mtutuzeli "Slick" Kente]]''' (1932-2004) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Kente] was a South African playwright, actor, director, musician, composer, impressario/manager and teacher.
+[[Gibson Kente]] (1932-2004) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Kente] was a South African playwright, actor, director, musician, composer, impressario/manager and teacher.
-Fondly known to many as '''"[[Bra Gib]]"''' ("Brother Gib") he was widely recognised to be the foremost black playwright ("the father of township theatre") and one of the leading cultural icons of his time.
+Fondly known to many as '''"[[Bra Gib]]"''' ("Brother Gib") he was widely recognised to be the foremost black playwright ("the father of township theatre") and one of the leading cultural icons of his time. Also had the nickname '''"Slick Kente"'''.
 == Biography ==

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 == Biography ==
-Born Gibson Mthuthuzeli Kente on July 25 (some sources say July 23), 1932, in Duncan Village, the black township near East London, Eastern Cape.
+Born [[Gibson Mthuthuzeli Kente]] on July 25 (some sources say July 23), 1932, in Duncan Village, the black township near East London, Eastern Cape.
-He has two sons, Feza and Mzwandile.
+Married to Evelyn Nomathemba Kasi for ten years (1969–1979), he has two sons, Feza and Mzwandile.
-In 2004 he was celebrated as a ‘living treasure” by the [[National Arts Council]] of South Africa, but sadly in the same year he declared himself HIV positive and, while working on his 24th play (an Aids awareness work entitled ''[[The Call]]''), he  died in Soweto on 7 November 2004. After his death the [[Gibson Kente Foundation]] was founded, i.a. to seek to have more of his work published.
+In 2004 he was celebrated as a "living treasure" by the [[National Arts Council]] of South Africa, but sadly in the same year he declared himself HIV positive and, while working on his 24th play (an Aids awareness work entitled ''[[The Call]]''), he  died in Soweto on 7 November 2004.
 ==Training==

@@ Line 101: / Line 101: @@
 On 26th of February 2023, the [[Red Theatre]] auditorium at the [[Soweto Theatre]] was renamed the [[Gibson Kente Theatre]] in his honour.
-After Kente’s death in 2004 the late playwright and poet, [[Maishe Maponya]], got together with some of Kente’s actors and together, working from memory, they managed to cobble up scripts for ''[[Sikalo]]'', ''[[Lifa]]'' and ''[[How Long]]''. In addition, [[Mshengu Kavanagh]] had made a collection of available recordings of Kente’s plays, and was able to get a copy of the recording of ''[[Lifa]]''. Working with all this material, Kavanagh was been able to salvage the four extant plays, edit them and publish them. Titled ''[[All That Is Left: Four Playscripts]]'', the book was published in 2021 in the [[Mshengu Publications]]’ Selected Plays series.
+After Kente’s death in 2004 the late playwright and poet, [[Maishe Maponya]], got together with some of Kente’s actors and together, working from memory, they managed to cobble up scripts for ''[[Sikalo]]'', ''[[Lifa]]'' and ''[[How Long]]''. In addition, [[Mshengu Kavanagh]] had made a collection of available recordings of Kente’s plays (including ''[[Too Late]]''), and was able to get a copy of the recording of ''[[Lifa]]''. Working with all this material, Kavanagh was been able to salvage the four extant plays (''[[Sikalo]]'', ''[[Lifa]]'', ''[[How Long]]'' and ''[[Too Late]]''), edit them and publish them. Titled ''[[All That Is Left: Four Playscripts]]'', the book was published in 2021 in the [[Mshengu Publications]]’ Selected Plays series.
 == Sources ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:22, 1 July 2025
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	Kente's plays were written (as opposed to workshopped, improvised or adhering to the oral tradition). Kente insisted that his plays were written in English, except for some dialogue that he wrote in isiZulu. On tour, actors were permitted to translate only the vernacular part of the script into the predominant language spoken in a township.		Kente's plays were written (as opposed to workshopped, improvised or adhering to the oral tradition). Kente insisted that his plays were written in English, except for some dialogue that he wrote in isiZulu. On tour, actors were permitted to translate only the vernacular part of the script into the predominant language spoken in a township.
−
−	~~==Legacy==~~
−

	===Plays/musicals===		===Plays/musicals===

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:22, 1 July 2025
Line 103:		Line 103:

	On 26th of February 2023, the [[Red Theatre]] auditorium at the [[Soweto Theatre]] was renamed the [[Gibson Kente Theatre]] in his honour.		On 26th of February 2023, the [[Red Theatre]] auditorium at the [[Soweto Theatre]] was renamed the [[Gibson Kente Theatre]] in his honour.
		+
		+	After Kente’s death in 2004 the late playwright and poet, [[Maishe Maponya]], got together with some of Kente’s actors and together, working from memory, they managed to cobble up scripts for ''[[Sikalo]]'', ''[[Lifa]]'' and ''[[How Long]]''. In addition, [[Mshengu Kavanagh]] had made a collection of available recordings of Kente’s plays, and was able to get a copy of the recording of ''[[Lifa]]''. Working with all this material, Kavanagh was been able to salvage the four extant plays, edit them and publish them. Titled ''[[All That Is Left: Four Playscripts]]'', the book was published in 2021 in the Mshengu Publications’ Selected Plays series.

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:22, 1 July 2025
Line 43:		Line 43:
	==Legacy==		==Legacy==

−	After Kente’s death in 2004 the late playwright and poet, [[Maishe Maponya]], got together with some of Kente’s actors and together, working from memory, they managed to cobble up scripts for ''[[Sikalo]]'', ''[[Lifa]]'' and ''[[How Long]]''. In addition, [[Mshengu Kavanagh]] had made a collection of available recordings of Kente’s plays, and was able to get a copy of the recording of ''[[Lifa]]''. Working with all this material, Kavanagh was been able to salvage the four extant plays, edit them and publish them. Titled ''[[All That Is Left: Four Playscripts]]'', the book was published in 2021 in the Mshengu Publications’ Selected Plays series.

	===Plays/musicals===		===Plays/musicals===

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:21, 1 July 2025
Line 40:		Line 40:

	Kente's plays were written (as opposed to workshopped, improvised or adhering to the oral tradition). Kente insisted that his plays were written in English, except for some dialogue that he wrote in isiZulu. On tour, actors were permitted to translate only the vernacular part of the script into the predominant language spoken in a township.		Kente's plays were written (as opposed to workshopped, improvised or adhering to the oral tradition). Kente insisted that his plays were written in English, except for some dialogue that he wrote in isiZulu. On tour, actors were permitted to translate only the vernacular part of the script into the predominant language spoken in a township.
		+
		+	==Legacy==
		+
		+	After Kente’s death in 2004 the late playwright and poet, [[Maishe Maponya]], got together with some of Kente’s actors and together, working from memory, they managed to cobble up scripts for ''[[Sikalo]]'', ''[[Lifa]]'' and ''[[How Long]]''. In addition, [[Mshengu Kavanagh]] had made a collection of available recordings of Kente’s plays, and was able to get a copy of the recording of ''[[Lifa]]''. Working with all this material, Kavanagh was been able to salvage the four extant plays, edit them and publish them. Titled ''[[All That Is Left: Four Playscripts]]'', the book was published in 2021 in the Mshengu Publications’ Selected Plays series.

	===Plays/musicals===		===Plays/musicals===