Block 3 | 1 October 2021 - 31 January 2022

Tankiso Mamabolo

Tankiso Mamabolo is a multi award winning actor, composer, singer, writer and dancer from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.

She graduated from UCT in 2015 with a BA (Hons) in Theatre and Performance.

She has performed in a multitude of successful productions including John Kani’s Nothing But the Truth, directed by John Kani as well as Marat/ Sade directed by Jaco Bower at the Baxter Theatre.

Tankiso co-wrote and performed in the award winning play The Fall, which toured to over 5 countries receiving the honour of being included in the New York Times critics’ choice list, winning a Fleur Du Cup Encore award in 2016 and a nomination for a Naledi Theatre award in 2018.

Tankiso has also earned a Fleur Du Cup nomination for best supporting actress and a Naledi award nomination under the same category for her portrayal of Lydia in Marc Lottering’s Aunty Merle the Musical.

Tankiso is also a musician recently producing and performing a critically acclaimed musical show titled Tankiso Live: The Audacity To Be consisting of original works at The Baxter theatre.

Her latest works include a small role in the celebrated Afrikaans Series Fynskrif, a role in Amy Jephta’s Late Bloomer where she played the role of Xaba.

Tankiso’s independently released her debut album titled Freedom Hurts Sometimes to positive reviews.

John van de Ruit

John van de Ruit was born in Durban, South Africa, and educated at Michaelhouse and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where he completed a master’s degree in drama and performance studies.

John’s first full length play, War Cry, garnered him an FNB VITA award. In 2002 came Green Mamba, a satirical sketch show in collaboration with the actor, Ben Voss. The show’s success spawned a sequel, Black Mamba, and the duo toured southern Africa for the better part of five years, attracting a cult following and Naledi Awards for performance and scripting.

It was over these years of touring that John van de Ruit began to develop a story about a young boy attending a prestigious boarding school, partially inspired by his own experiences at Michaelhouse. In September 2005, his comedic novel, Spud, was published by Penguin Books (Now Penguin Random House) and became an immediate bestseller, breaking all local fiction publishing records. Spud went on to be published in numerous countries and territories around the world and was adapted into a successful film starring John Cleese and Troye Sivan. Spud inspired three sequels: The Madness Continues… (2007) Learning to Fly (2009) and Exit, Pursued by a Bear (2012). By 2015 the Spud series had spawned three films, a legion of fans, and has sold over 800 000 copies worldwide.

In recent years John van de Ruit has been working on his new comedy novel, Rank, and the adaptation of Spud into a stage musical.

Sipumzo Lucwaba

Sipumzo Trueman Lucwaba was born in the eastern cape of South Africa where he received his primary and secondary education at one of the countries premier academic institutions, Selborne. It was however not until his early twenties that he pursued his love for the arts.

Teaching himself the bass guitar he was later able to gain entrance into the university of the Witwatersrand where he was trained in his craft by musicians such as Carlo Mombelli, Malcolm Nay, Jonathan Crossley, and Bryan Schimmel. Before he was able to complete his degree in music, Sipumzo was already cast to play the bass on professional shows such as Dreamgirls and Dirty Dancing and it is here that his love affair with musical theatre flourished.

Since then he has gone on to perform on professional productions of The Rocky Horror Show, Cabaret, and Funny Girl, for the Fugard Theatre, as well Janice Honeyman’s Pantomimes Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty. He has also served as musical director for South African artist KB Motsilanyane and has worked in studio with various other artists.

He has toured locally and abroad with Sabelo Mthembu and has assisted with transcriptions and arrangements on various corporates including Jacaranda Pops 2013, Bidvest 2013, Skouspel 2013, as well as the SAMA2013 industry awards.

In 2017 Sipumzo worked alongside Charl-Johan Lingenfelder as musical director and bandleader of the Fugard Theatre’s revival the Todd Matshikiza classic, King Kong. The show would garner rave reviews and earn Sipumzo a first Naledi award nomination and in addition, for his work in the music industry, he was selected as one The Mail and Guardian’s top 200 young South Africans, 2018.

In 2019 Sipumzo would serve as the composer on The Cape Town opera’s production of the high School Opera, Imivumba YamaQhawe as well band leader in David Kramer’s Langarm for the Fugard Theatre.

Tammany Barton & Nathan Ro

Tammany Barton is an eternal optimist who packs a punch of enthusiasm, a lick of sunshine, and a continuous flow of creativity and energy in every aspect of her life. Her genuine zeal and love for life and storytelling are contagious.

Her devotion to acting on stage has gifted her mouth-watering roles, such as the lead in Medea by Euripides at the McAuley theatre in Hong Kong 2015, Alison Olivier ( Athol Fugard’s, Sorrows and Rejoicing), Paulina Escobar (Death and the Maiden), Bernice Hindley ( Sisters, Such Devoted Sisters) and her extensive repertoire in children’s Theatre, her first love.

She has had recurring roles as Dr Allerton on Scandal, Tanya in Generations, The Legacy and Andrea Owen in Binnerlanders. She also featured on Mnet’s Lioness in 2020.

As a playwright, Tammany wrote, produced and performed in Cupcakes and Commiserations which opened at the Theatre on the Square, Sandton, South Africa, in 2019. Following the play’s success, Tammany published a 10-minute drama during her residency with Twist Theatre Productions, showcasing her play Changing Rooms at the National Arts Festival in 2020.

In 2021 she started her Masters in Script and Screenwriting at Falmouth University.

Nathan Ro, a multi-faceted singer bounced onto the music scene when he placed 2nd in the reality TV show Project Fame in 2004. Ro went straight from reality TV to soapie actor when he got the role of Tim Wilson in the award winning daily drama, Isidingo – The Need. The singer went on to form the band Lonehill Estate which toured the UK, Europe and The States and had 5 Number 1 hit singles including Technoband and Daans!

While working as a TV producer in 2014, Nathan formed the supergroup Swing City alongside Graeme Watkins and Loyiso Bala which toured South Africa extensively. The swinging sounds of yesteryear took the singer to new heights as a singer and comedic performer.

In 2019 Nathan had his Musical Theatre debut in Kinky Boots as the villain Don, which ran for almost a full year at The Fugard Theatre to rave reviews. In September 2020 the locked down performer wrote an original album about the diverse cities in South Africa called African Grey which took him back to his acoustic, musical roots. Nathan Ro also started Hivemind Industries, an audio visual company specialising in graphic design, TV production and animation.

This dynamic duo tied the knot in September this year and they are even more productive together than they are apart. Together they created the Kruger Kritters in 2020, and the School of Positivity to keep children active, learning and entertained during lockdown. Tammany won best content creator at the IBM.tv Awards whilst Nathan received an award for best comedic performance. The couple has now put their heads together again to venture into the world of writing for musical theatre, a venture that is sure to entertain.

Paul Warrick Griffin

With an international career spanning some thirty years, Paul has an extensive list of credits in just about every aspect of the theatrical arena from actor to director and producer.

Paul’s directing credits include Tell Me On A Sunday, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime, Sunset Boulevard, Chess (which he also adapted with Sir Tim Rice), Evita and Disney’s High School Musical – Live on Stage in South Africa, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan.

Paul lives in London where his West End credits include Associate Director at the prestigious Old Vic Theatre for Sean Mathias’ production of Aladdin, The Theatre Royal Haymarket’s production of Waiting For Godot, starring Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart and Associate Director to Matthew Warchus for Ghost - The Musical for the West End, UK Tour, US Tour and South Korea.

He has been a guest director for the Royal Academy of Music as well as London’s ArtsEd.

Recently, Paul directed the UK premier of Xanadu and was Associate Director for the West End (Old Vic) and Broadway (August Wilson) seasons of Groundhog Day, a new Musical with Book by Danny Rubin and Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin.

Paul is a founding partner of GWB Entertainment.

GWB Entertainment has operations in the United Kingdom and Australia.

In Australia, GWB has produced the Headlong / Nottingham Playhouse and Almeida production of George Orwell’s 1984, West Side Story, Ghost the Musical, Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth at the Sydney Opera House and The Rocky Horror Show.

In London, The King and I at the London Palladium, Britney Spears The Cabaret at The Other Palace, The Women In White and Equus at London’s Trafalgar Studios.

In Asia, GWB has toured Disney’s High School Musical, West Side Story, Ghost The Musical, Avenue Q, CATS and Jesus Christ Superstar.

In South Africa, GWB has presented Matilda The Musical and Bianca Del Rio.

GWB provides General Management for numerous first class tours including Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS and The Phantom of The Opera.

Current projects include the International Tours of Matilda The Musical and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock.