Sello Maake ka Ncube

Sello Maake ka Ncube (1960-) is a prominent actor, director and dramatist for stage, TV and film.

(When he started out he was simply credited as as Sello Maake, and the later full name is variously written as Sello Maake ka-Ncube, Sello Maake Ka-Ncube and Sello Maake kaNcube is sources)

Biography

Born in Orlando, Soweto, but mostly raised in Atteridgeville, Pretoria. It wasn’t until he was 15 – when he saw Gibson Kente's How Long? – that he realised that he wanted to be an actor.

Career

After a period with Gibson Kente in Soweto, he worked as a clerk for three years until he auditioned for Woza Albert! in 1986.

He worked in London's West End playing "Mufasa" in The Lion King in the early 2000s.

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

Started his career with performing his own work under the name Sello Maake. Later used the full name.

As playwright

In 1997 he workshopped his first full-length play Koze Kuse Bash. Wrote and directed Koma (1998) and Komeng (2002), *

As stage performer

Stage roles as performer include leads in Woza Albert! (1986), Cry Freemandela – The Movie (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1987) *, Smallholding in 1989, Black and White Follies, The Suit (Themba/ Mutloatse, Simon and Co, 1993/4 - played both in London and New York), Julius Caesar (Windybrow , 1994), Titus Andronicus (19**), in South Africa and at London's National Theatre), The Good Woman of Sharkville (directed by Janet Suzman, 1996), The Colored Museum (1996), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (19**), Prophets in the Black Sky (1992), Smallholding (19**) , A Raisin in the Sun (19**) and Call Us Crazy (2001). The Lion King in London’s West End (200*), and South Africa (2008), The Lion and the Jewel (State Theatre Pretoria, 2008), and Othello (opposite Antony Sher) for Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company as the company's first black "Othello" in the West End of London [and South Africa??] (2008), Report to an Academy (directed by Karoly Pinter, Grahamstown Festival 2009), Race (Mamet, Grahamstown Festival, 2012).

As stage director

He directed Closer (1998), Woza Albert! (2001-2002).

Television work

His TV work made him a nationally recognised face through his protrayal of "Archie" in the series Generations, (1993-1997, 1998-2002).

Film work

His film work includes A Dry White Season (1989), The Rutanga Tapes (1990), Dark City (1990), Wheels and Deals (1991), The Good Fascist (1992), Bopha! (1993), Taxi to Soweto (1993), Djadje: Last Night I Fell Off a Horse (1993), Othello: A South African Tale (2005), .

Administrative work

He is a member of the National Arts Council's panel on the Performing Arts.

Awards, etc

Young Artist Award for Drama, 2002.

Nominated for a Vita Award (National) for his role in The Colored Museum [actor of the year]; 1996.

Sources

CAPAB Brochure, Aug-Nov 1989.

Tucker, 1997.

Insig, March 2004, p. 56.

Various entries in the NELM catalogue.

Wikipedia [1].

Go to the ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities N

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page