Two Umlazi brothers are set to represent KwaZulu-Natal at The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown this year. Musawenkosi and Bongumusa Shabalala of Umsindo Theatre Projects have put together a musical titled “The Real King Kong”, based on the life of Vryheid born heavyweight boxer Ezekiel Dhlamini.
Dhlamini was a professional boxer who was sentenced to 12 years hard labour for stabbing a woman to death in 1957. A few weeks after he began serving his term, his body was found in a dam on the Leeukop prison farm in Johannesburg.
The Jazz opera King Kong, which was centered around Dhlamini, premiered in Johannesburg in 1959 with the cast touring South Africa and London. The Shabalala twins decided however to write their own script and create a local version of the production, which premieres at the festival tomorrow and will run to the 13th of July.
Bongumusa believes the original musical only focused on one aspect of Dhlamini’s life and did not paint him as a human being faced with tough surroundings and social ills. The Shabalala brothers aim to help grow talent in the Umlazi area and make the youth aware of the options available to them to help fight social ills in townships.
The project was mentored by highly respected playwright, director, actor and drama lecturer Jerry Pooe as well as Roel Twijnstra, a Dutch Theatre director currently based in Durban.
The KwaZulu-Natal Arts and Culture Department has been providing financial support, training and mentorship to the community theatre group for the past two years under its arts development programme as part of ongoing efforts to discover young talent throughout the province.
“The department is proud to be associated with young aspiring artists that embody our aspirations as the province. These young men are working to improve the lives of those around them while highlighting the plight of many South Africans” said Mrs Ntombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha.
For more information please contact:
Lethukuthula Mtshali
Cell: 081 037 8321
