Nomhle Nkonyeni

Nomhle Nkonyeni (1942-2019) is an actress on stage and film, and (according to Loren Kruger, 1999, p239) the first black African woman director of literary drama in South Africa.

Sometimes billed as Nomhle Nkoyeni.

Biography

She was born in Aggrey Road in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, in April 1942 and started her acting career in theatre at the age of 19 and would go on to become one of the first black women to set foot on an apartheid stage in South Africa. She started with the Serpent Players in Port Elizabeth in the early 1970s. Then went to The Space in Cape Town (where her mother Elizabeth was a cleaner) before moving to the then Transvaal to become a stalwart of the Market Theatre, working with Barney Simon.

Nomhle died on Wednesday, July 1 2019, in hospital.

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

With the Serpent Players in Port Elizabeth in the early 1970s, playing “Aniko” in The Caucasian Chalk Circle for Athol Fugard.

The Last Bus – idea born while Fugard rushed after rehearsals to get them on the last bus from Schoenmakerskop to New Brighton. Friday's Bread on Monday.

Athol Fugard's adaptation of a medieval play, The Cure, performed by the Serpent Players, including John Kani, Winston Ntshona and Nomhle Nkonyeni, Grahamstown September 1971 during the 1820 Settler Festival.

Then went to The Space in Cape Town (where her mother Elizabeth was a cleaner), to act in in Fatima Dike’s The First South African (1977, playing the mother) and Medea (197*), her first professional role.

Performed in We Shall Sing for the Fatherland (at the People’s Space and the Market Theatre), 1979.

When Rob Amato founded People’s Space, she played the “Older woman” in Zakes Mda’s The Hill (1980) ***, ***. For them also co-directed (with Rob Amato) Zakes Mda’s Dark Voices Ring (1979) (as part of the Serpent Players with Athol Fugard at the People’s Space),

Poppie Nongena (as “Popppie” with CAPAB, 1981).

For PACT at the Windybrow Theatre, doing Ulovane Jive (1985) and The Time of the Hyena (1985)**.

Together with Aletta Bezuidenhout, Clare Stopford, Nandi Nyembe and Jacqui Singer she workshopped and starred in Ulovane Jive which was the opening production of the Windybrow Theatre , 1986.

She starred in Tjaart Potgieter’s production of Mitzi Booysen’s The Time of the Hyena together with Pierre Knoesen and Elize Cawood at the Windybrow Theatre circa 1986.

Starred in Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King's Horseman in 1992.

Starred in Romeo and Juliet at the State Theatre and the Alexander in 1992.

Starred in Athol Fugard’s Boesman and Lena in 1993.

In 1996 she acted in Duma ka Ndlovu’s The Game.

In Boklied, 1998.

Cupid in Tyhume, Gr Fest 2006.

Film work included roles in Zulu (2013),

Nkonyeni also starred in e.tv's Scandal and played the queen mother in Mzansi Magis's Igazi in 2017.

She also wrote and produced Truck Driver, Umqa ka Ntsika and You be a Leader My Son, all of which were performed at the Port Elizabeth Opera House also in 2017.

My Boarding School. Nomhle presented, directed and acted in this play at the Barn Theatre, Port Elizabeth Opera House, in September 2017.

Awards

She received an Artes in 1994 for her role in a radio production of Boesman and Lena.

Received a Naledi Theatre Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2005

Sources

SACD 1981/82.

Astbury 1979.

Tucker, 1997.

Kruger 1999.

The Herald, 12 June 2006.

My Boarding School publicity pamphlet, 2017.

Interview with Nomhle Nkonyeni, 2017. The Herald, May 12, 2017

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