Bloke and His American Bantu

Based on the lives of Bloke Modisane and Langston Hughes, this two-man play reimagines the transatlantic camaraderie that bridged the gap between Harlem and Sophiatown in the 1960s.The story is set in the 1960s, when Modisane was exiled in London, and Hughes through the help of the United Negro College Fund and the American Society of African Culture organised a lecture series for him in various states across the US. This story explores the friendship that developed between the two despite living in different cities and separated by the Atlantic Ocean. This production was first staged over two days at the Aula Theatre, University of Pretoria, in October 2021. In 2022 it completed a run at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda, South Africa, before jetting off to the Edinburgh Arts Festival, where it earned a four-star rating. The original cast featured Josias Dos Moleele and Anele Nene.

Praise for

Bloke & His American Bantu

“It is a tour de force extolling the absolute beauty and magic of friendship.” Don Makatile                                    

“The script is faultless, the direction likewise, the acting is outstanding, and the narration of the letters and telephone calls is at times humorous, desperate, full of pathos, and – in one exchange – so desperately sad.” Jeremy Welch

“Moleele’s Hughes brims with intelligence and compassion, while Nene’s charismatic Modisane sizzles with barely contained energy.” Katie Hawthorne

“Bloke and His American Bantu is an admirable piece of historical dramatization, hopefully with a future after the Fringe.” (**** Beautifully written) Skylar Mabry 

The House of Truth

This one man play recasts new insights into the life of Can Themba, one of South Africa’s most iconic journalists and short story writers in South Africa of the 1950s. It weaves together elements of Themba’s life and career with deft wit and poise, recreating the sparkle and pathos of the Drum era and Sophiatown before both were literally destroyed by apartheid legislation. In this play, Themba is brought back to life as an ordinary person with human flaws and attributes that both inspire and disappoint because we can relate to them. In its maiden run at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown (now Makhanda) in 2016, the play starred South African acting legend Sello Maake kaNcube. Mahala weaves together elements of Themba’s life and career with deft wit and poise, recreating the sparkle and pathos of the Drum era and Sophiatown before both were literally destroyed by apartheid legislation. An essential and highly entertaining piece of history, it has played countrywide to full houses and critical acclaim.

A Short Theatrical Showcase