Bertha Egnos

(1912-2003) Dramatist, composer and entrepreneur.

Born in Johannesburg, 1912,

She married Frank Lakier in 1938.

Plays she compiled, wrote and produced include Swing 1941 (at the Empire Theatre Johannesburg in 1941), Bo Jungle (with music by George Hayden, produced in association with African Theatres at the Empire Theatre, 1959), Dingaka (a stage play written and produced in 1950), Dingaka the musical (written with Eddie Domingo, the Brooke Theatre, 1961), Eureka (with a text by Percy Baneshik, performed 1968), Ipi Ntombi/ Ipi Thombi[?*] (1974). Dingaka was filmed by Jamie Uys in 1964, starring Ken Gampu. The stage version of Ipi Ntombi went on to become an international legend – praised by many, performed all over the world in one way or the other by multiple companies, and vilified by others for its blantant exploitation of its cast and the cultural heritage it represented. She composed the score for Percy Baneshik’s Eureka, which opened at the Civic Theatre in March 1967. Anthony Farmer directed this musical which starred Lawrence Folley and Pat Lancaster. She composed the music for, wrote and directed Ipi-Tombi which opened at the Brooke Theatre on 25 March 1974 after a run in Perth. Her daughter Gail Lakier wrote the lyrics. Together with Gail Lakier she created Lulu Wena which was staged at the Brooke Theatre in 1977. She wrote and directed Ipi-Tombi II, the NOW Generation was launched at the Victory Theatre in 1989. (See also the entry on the play in Part 3 Section 4a)