Isidlamlilo - Fire Eater

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

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.

Performance history in South Africa

2022: Premiered to rave reviews at the 2022 National Arts Festival

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

2025: Performned at the Baxter Theatre, Actor: Mpume Mthombeni. Brought to the Baxter by Empatheatre.

Sources

https://markettheatre.co.za/isidlamlilo-the-fire-eater/

The Baxter what's on January to April, 2025.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to South_African_Films Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays Return to PLAYS III: Collections Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances Return to South African Festivals and Competitions Return to South African Radio Plays and Serials Return to South African Television Plays and Series Return to The ESAT Entries Return to Main Page