Nomsa Nene

(1957-) Actress on stage, film and television. Started in showbusiness when she auditioned for a television commercial at the age of six. *Worked for Gibson Kente in ** Die Van Aardes van Grootoor (1978) In 197* she was cast in the lead role of the house maid Poppie in PACOFS’s original Afrikaans stage version of Elsa Joubert’s influential novel Die Swerfjare van Poppie Nongena (lit: “The wandering years of Poppie Nongena”, but formally translated and published as The Long Journey of Poppie Nongena, 19**). She went on to portray this role in all the subsequent productions (the PACT production in 19**, the English production at the Market Theatre in 198* and its New York season, etc.) This gave her access to other roles, including Shakespeare productions, as the San woman in Maru (1993), * Symbols of Sex and State (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 2000) ***. She was the first black woman to direct a play at the Market Theatre's Laager, when she directed Hamba Dompas in 1986. She moved on to film and TV work as well.***** In 2000 she joined Pieter-Dirk Uys to play Dora in a TV series entitled Going Down Gorgeous, and in the same year became Zaza Gabu in the outragious breakfast time programme The Toasty Show, with Bill Flynn. NENE, Nomsa. She starred in the ME nobody knows, for The Company at the Market Theatre in 1977. Benjy Francis directed and it also starred Leslie Mongezi, Leonie Hofmeyr, Barrie Shah and Jonathan Taylor. She starred in the Pieter-Dirk Uys comedy Die Van Aardes van Grootoor together with Pieter-Dirk Uys, Johan Botha, Lida Botha, Antoinett Kellermann, Magda Beukes and Rina Nienaber (1978). It was directed by Dawie Malan for the opening production of the Laager Theatre in September 1978. She starred in Elsa Joubert’s Die Swerfjare van Poppie Nongena, directed by Hilary Blecher for The Company at the Market in August 1980. She starred in PACT’s revival of Die Swerfjare van Poppie Nongena which was directed by Marius Weyers in August 1983 at the State Theatre and then the Alexander. In 1984 she starred in Marius Weyers’ production of the English version at the Market for which she won the Computicket award. Peter Se-Puma’s Hamba Dompas was directed by Nomsa with the author and John Ledwaba at the Laager in January 1986. She starred in Euripides’ The Women of Troy which was directed by Dieter Reible for the opening production of the Adcock-Ingram Auditorium in 1987. NENE, Nomsa (19*-) Singer, Dancer, Actor, Puppeteer, Presenter and Producer, Nomsa Nene's twenty year career is nothing short of phenonemal. With a string of feature film, television and theatre credits to her name, she has won significant awards including an OB [Off Broadway] award for her role as Poppie in "Die Swerfjare van Poppie Nongena".

Sources

Tucker, 1997

Return to ESAT Personalities N

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to Main Page