Solomzi Bhisholo

Solomzi Bhisholo (1960-) is an actor.

Some sources list his name as Solomzi Bisholo.

Biography

Born in the Mbekweni township near Paarl in April of 1960, where he also went to school.

He began acting his career at school, appearing in a of their prescribed work W.K. Tamsanqa's play Buzani Ku Bawo, directed by his teacher Bram Mhlom. He also joined a drama group they called the Mbekweni Dramatic Society, where they improvised a play called Liz is the Word, which he co-directed with Colin Ndevu.

Leaving school in 1979, he began to concentrate on theatre, appearing in various productions of works adapted from the writings of Ngugi and Achebe. He gradually came under the influence of local theatremakers such as Athol Fugard and Gibson Kente, being particularly influenced by the 1981 production of Woza Albert.

Between 1982-1984 he worked for Gibson Kente, and then met Mbongeni Ngema, joining him at Committed Artists in 1984, where they had begun working on Asinamali.

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

Over the years since leaving school he has had roles in plays like Mahlomola (Boikie Mohlamme, 1981), Amen (Boikie Mohlamme, 1981), Crazy Jealousy Ziyabeda (Gibson Kente, 1982-4), Things are Bad Mzaza (Gibson Kente, 1982-4), Asinamali (1984)

Bisholo wrote and directed the play Channel 48 (1988).

Sources

Market Theatre programme for Asinamali, 1985.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1291205/

Xaba, Andile. 2021. 'Collective memory and the construction of a historical narrative, analysis and interpretation of selected Soweto-based community plays (1984–1994)'. Unpublished PhD thesis.

Go to the ESAT Bibliography