A new play by writer Njabulo S. Ndebele

Creative Team

Adaptation | Alex Burger

Director and plays the role of Delisiwe | Momo Matsunyane

Set & Lighting Designer, Additional Audio Visual | Wilhelm Disbergen

Costume Designer | Onthatile Matshidisa

Sound & Audio Visual Designer | Vangile Mpumlwana

Cast

(in order of appearance)

Prof Ndebele: Les Made

Mannete: Warona Seane

Delisiwe: MoMo Matsunyane

Mamello: Nomonde Mbusi

Marara: Siyasanga Papu

Winnie Mandela: Thembisa Mdoda-Nxumalo

Technical Team

Stage Manager & Lighting Operator | Ali Madiga

Sound and Audio Visual Operator | TBC

Alex Burger

Alex Burger is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and playwright.

His plays include: The Crusaders (Oxford University, in progress) Fees Must Fall (Wits University, 2016), The Inkanyamba (Market Theatre Lab, 2015) and Whose Blood (The Old Operating Theatre London, 2012) which played to a fully sold-out run. His TV credits include head-writing Die Testament One & Two South Africa’s first TV show written for mobile viewing (Netwerk24, 2022 & 2019), Seasons 3 and 4 of the SAFTA-winning TV series Umlilo (eTv 2015-2016), Doubt (Mzansi Magic 2016), and Hard Copy Season 4 (SABC3 2016). He is currently developing multiple TV projects including co-writing a feminist TV series Here She Comes (Infinite Eyes Films), co-developing an African-American satirical series The Campaign (Mundo Loco Films), and writing a Scooby Doo investigation of systemic racism Reparation City.

In his other life, Alex has served as a senior advisor to the World Bank for over twenty years working in thirty-four countries and served as the Vice President of Community Affairs for AngloGold Ashanti – Africa’s largest Mining company (2011-2013). Alex holds an MBA from INSEAD and a BA magna cum laude from Harvard University in the Comparative Study of Religion.

Kgomotso ‘MoMo’ Matsunyane

Kgomotso ‘MoMo’ Matsunyane (b. 1988) is an actor, playwright, director and singer.

MoMo has been a professional actor since 2004 after making her television debut on Thetha Msawawa 2. She obtained an Honours Degree in Dramatic Arts from Wits University in 2012, majoring in Performance as well as Film and Television. She has performed in numerous plays, films and television shows over her 19 year long career and has been nominated for and won several awards including: The Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Theatre in 2023, Hlakanyana The Musical, which won a whopping 8 out of the 14 awards at the 2023 Naledi Theatre Awards. She was also Head Writer for this very musical.

Matsunyane also won for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her role as Mawethu along with Best Ensemble and Best Production of a Musical. Other achievements include; Best Actress in A Leading Role and Best Breakthrough Performer nominee (Have You Seen Zandile? ;Naledi Theatre Awards 2014), Best Supporting Actress winner (Ankobia ; SA Theatre Magazine Awards 2017), Best Ensemble winner (Animal Farm; Naledi Theatre Awards 2015), Best Supporting Role nominee (Tsotsi The Musical; Fleur Du Cap Awards 2018) and Best Fringe Productions nominee (Unlearn and Dick Or Date?; Naledi Theatre Awards 2019).

Earlier in 2023, she acted in a new sketch comedy show called Republic Of South Ah directed by Kagiso Lediga and it is currently on popular streaming network Netflix. In June she co-directed Their Silence Left Us Nothing But Tokens in France, Lyon as part of a collaboration between the Market Theatre Laboratory and ENSATT. In the previous year Matsunyane was also festival director of the acclaimed Zwakala Festival and following its success, went on to mentor the director of the winning group as the show took to the stage in October 2023.

In 2022 she also performed in If A Tree Falls which was also directed by acclaimed director Janice Honeyman. In 2020, she performed in Switzerland in Converting Eviction, a collaboration between Ntsoana Contemporary Dance Theatre and KMUProduktionen. In 2021 she was cast in Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winner for Dance, Lulu Mlangeni’s NAF production Kganya which made its live debut at the internationally acclaimed festival Afrovibes in 2022 and also enjoyed a run at The State Theatre in July 2023. Matsunyane hopes to grow her production company which has created a platform for her to independently write, produce and star in her own shows as she navigates this often challenging but equally rewarding industry.

Wilhelm Disbergen

Wilhelm Disbergen is a prolific theatre designer who regularly works in all major theatres in South Africa. He is a multiple winner at the annual Naledi Theatre Awards, and has also received a Fleur du Cap award for lighting design.

For theatre, his collaboration with State Theatre’s Artistic Director Aubrey Sekhabi started with Silent Voice, followed by Sekhabi’s three seminal freedom plays – Mantolo: The Tenth Step, Kalushi: The Story of Solomon Mahlangu, and The Rivonia Trial. This was followed by three epoch-making musicals – Hungry (a co-production with the SchauSpielHaus Hamburg), Marikana – The Musical, and Freedom The Musical. Recent work in theatre include Eugène Ionesco’s The Lesson (dir Greg Homan) at the Market Theatre, an immersive production of Ariane Mnouchkine and Théâtre du Soleil’s 1789 (dir Phyllis Klotz and Smal Ndaba) at the Sibikwa Arts Centre, and Napo Mashenane’s ground-breaking musical Thaba Bosiu at PACOFS.

In 2018, he designed Jessica Nupen’s Don’t Trust the Border for Kampnagel, Hamburg. This was followed in the same venue by The Nose, a film/live performance hybrid (2021), and GEMeinsam (2022). He lit 21 seasons for the Cape Town City Ballet. A highlight was lighting and staging Olivier award winning Muthuthuzeli November’s Ingoma (2021). For Joburg Ballet, he designed Big City, Big Dreams, Whispers of My Soul (chor Redha), and The Nutcracker (chor Angela Malan), last performed at the end of 2023 at the Teatro at Montecasino and The Playhouse in Durban.

At the National Arts Festival, he designed new works for three Standard Bank Young Artists – Moffie for Bailey Snyman (2012), Sabela for Thandezile Sonja Radebe (2017), and Purgatory for Kristi-Leigh Gresse (2022). At the 2018 festival, he designed Black Privilege for Nyamza, the featured artist of the festival. He teamed up again with Snyman for Gas Lands (2019), and Nyamza for Pest Control (2020) and Hatched Ensemble (2023).

Onthatile Matshidiso

Onthatile Matshidiso is production designer and arts educator with 12 years’ experience in using clothes to tell stories. Born in Tlhabane, Rustenburg and now based in Johannesburg, Onthatile grew up in a community that valued the arts in childhood development.  In her household, Onthatile was inspired by her mother who saw the value of a carefully selected wardrobe as a tool of self-expression. Her father taught her meticulous precision in technical drawing. Onthatile drew inspiration for fashion illustration from fashion spreads in publications such as Elle and True Love Magazine.

Onthatile is a Wits School of Arts graduate with majors in Production Design and Writing. In 2015, she was nominated for a Naledi Award in Costume award, for Matsemela Manaka’s Egoli. Onthatile has served as production design lecturer for The Wits School of Arts’ and for the Market Theatre Laboratory. Recent credits in costume design include: The Terrified Talabalushi, The Lesson, Tata Etla Gae, and Nina Simone- 4 Women.

Siyasanga Papu (Marara)

Siyasanga is a multitalented actress and songstress who has been involved in productions in both theatre and film for 21 years. In 2005 she was part of a production called NewTown. She went on to perform in Relativity: Flashes of a Township Life which played at multiple South African art festivals, later showcasing in Vienna (Austria), the Scotland Fringe and then touring 10 different cities in the UK .

She went on to play in Usindiso(2007), and Rhythm City(2008-2009). Her theatre and TV work include The Wizard of OZ, Jock of the Bushveld, and SATATOO. In 2012, she performed at the Monte’ Casino arena. From 2014 - 2022 she played lead in “MARIKANA the Musical” for which she got a Naledi award nomination. She also performed in AMANDLA, 8 MINUTES, 1606. She played lead in some films for the small screen including 10 Steps to Make Him Propose, Forget About it and Iizintombi Zodwa. In 2017 she was invited by Dr.Jonas Gwangwa to sing a special rendition at ex-president Thabo Mbeki’s 75th birthday celebration. She did a Cape Town tour of the famous 50s musical called KING KONG the musical. She also appeared as Mpumi a journalist on “Generations the Legacy” on SABC. Siyasanga also been in the TV series THE HERD, broadcast on Mzantsi. She portrayed the role of Fezeka in Isibaya in 2018, and went on to get another Naledi award nomination in 2019 for best supporting actress in a musical for the show she did called “Santa Clause is coming to town”.

In 2022 she joined the cast of the award-winning play called “Xova” where she played the lead role of Zukiswa. She has just finished the 4-year run of Gomora where she portrayed Pretty Molefe, one of the lead characters for which she got a Royal Soapie Award nomination. In 2024 Siyasanga was cast in an exhilarating play called “The Cry of Winnie Mandela” based on the novel by Professor Ndebele that enjoyed extended shows at the Market Theatre and The Baxter Theatre in Cape Town. These are just some of the accolades in her 21 year journey of her career. She portrayed Nokuthula in “Genesis 2025-2026” and went on to portray Motshabi on an Amazon Movie called “Lucky Fish 2024-2025” and the list still goes on. Some of her most recent works are in post and not out yet. Her love and passion for her work can be seen in the longevity of her career and the detail of her craftsmanship.

She currently has a 5 piece band called MOLO based in Pretoria.

Les Made (Prof Ndebele)

Les Made, formerly known to audiences as Les Nkosi, is a distinguished South African actor, director, producer, and creative change practioner whose career is defined by powerful, transformative portrayals across stage and screen.

On the stage, Made is celebrated for his portrayal of Prof. Njabulo Ndebele in The Cry of Winnie Mandela, which earned a Naledi Award nomination for Best Ensemble. His screen credits feature a starring role as Sizwe in the televisoon movie Ditaba (2025), a recurring role as The Guide on eTV's Scandal!, and appearances in major series such as The River, Generations, and Isibaya. His versatility was further highlighted at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda 2025, where he portrayed multiple roles in the premier of Vakavigwa (They Were Buried). A scholar-practioner, Made holds a Master's degree from Wits University, where he was twice awarded the Marshal Kander Award for Outstanding Research. He continues to lead as a facilitator, collaborating with the Wits Centre for Diversity Studies (WiCDS) to use arts therapies for social change and global connection.

Warona Seane (Mannete)

Warona Seane is a distinguished South African director, actor, dramaturge, and arts educator. She holds an MA Dramaturgy from the University of Cape Town. A former Artistic Manager of the Soweto Theatre and 2017 Theatre Programme Convenor for the National Arts Festival, Seane has directed acclaimed productions including “The Mountaintop”, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When The Rainbow Is Enuf”, “Eclipsed”, and “OomaSisulu”. Now a lecturer at UKZN, she has also lectured at UCT and remains a respected voice in theatre development and artistic mentorship.

Nomonde Mbusi (Mamello)

Nomonde Mbusi is an award winning (SAFTAS12) South African Actor; Scriptwriter; Voice Artist and Human Rights Activist. Her recent acting work includes, Marked (Netfilx), The Polygamist (Netflix); Isibaya (Mzansi Magic); Uzalo (SABC1), The Girl from St Agnes (Showmax) and Emoyeni (SABC1). She has also starred in the BET’s Madiba series directed by Kevin Hooks, and the multi-award winning South African film Vaya - directed by Akin Omotoso. Mbusi was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the 2017 Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCA’s) and the 2017 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA’s) - for the role of Thobeka in Vaya. Her first professional performances were in children’s theatre with AREPP in 1997. She went on to do other theatre productions such as Nothing but the Truth and Flipping the Script.

Mbusi’s television appearances also include Sokhulu and Partners - SABC1; Sticks and Stones SABC1; Usindiso-Redemption – SABC1, in which she also recorded a Soundtrack of the same title with Sony BMG; House of Widows - e-TV; Ubizo - The Calling and Tsha Tsha (season 4) - SABC1 and SABC2. She had brief appearances on Generations, Jacob’s Cross and e-TV’s 4 Play-Sex tips for girls. Mbusi is a familiar voice on television and radio. She has done numerous radio commercials as a voice artist for the SABC from 2001 to date. She recorded the international award-winning animation production The Magical Cellar (Morula Pictures), and for SABC 1’s YO-TV. Driven by her passion for Human Rights and social development, in 2004 she founded Insika Theatre Productions, and serves as Artistic Director and Theatre Facilitator till date. Through Insika, she has coproduced, facilitated and directed a number of Performance Arts and self-development workshops for survivors of gender based violence; the children and youth in Soweto, and also with organizations such as POWA-People Opposing Women Abuse, FEW-Forum for the Empowerment of Women and Usindiso Women’s Shelter. She has written several television, theatre and film scripts for Urban Brew – SABC and other production companies. Mbusi studied Bachelor of Dramatic Arts at the University of Zululand (1995-1996), holds an Honors degree in Drama Therapy from Wits University and the Executive and Management certificate from the University of Cape Town.

Thembisa Mdoda-Nxumalo (Winnie Mandela)

Thembisa Mdoda-Nxumalo is a multi-award-winning South African television presenter, actress, producer, and media personality widely recognised for her versatility, authenticity, and strong connection with audiences across the country. She is regarded as one of South Africa’s most influential entertainment figures, celebrated for her work in both television presenting and acting.

She first rose to prominence as the host of the popular Mzansi Magic reality series Our Perfect Wedding, where her engaging presenting style made her a household name. Since then, she has built a diverse career spanning television, radio, and acting, with notable roles in productions such as The Road, Isibaya, The Queen, Unmarried, and House of Zwide.

Beyond presenting, Mdoda-Nxumalo has established herself as a respected actress, taking on dynamic roles in both drama series and film, and has also worked in radio broadcasting and live event hosting. Her career reflects a strong ability to transition across different media platforms while maintaining a consistent public appeal.

Born in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, she has also been recognised for her achievements in the entertainment industry, earning several accolades for her work as a television presenter. She represents a modern South African woman who balances career success, motherhood, and cultural influence. Known for her intelligence, warmth, and relatability, she continues to inspire audiences through her storytelling, on-screen presence, and entrepreneurial ventures.