Neither were overtly political, but they dealt in the nitty gritty of township existence – crime, alcoholism, love and soccer – with wit and humour. Both Manana and his second play, Isikalo, in 1966, enjoyed huge township support. Without any formal training, he produced his first play, the musical Manana, The Jazz Prophet, in 1963. At the age of 23, he set off for Johannesburg. He studied social work, but soon abandoned it for his real love, drama. Kente was born in Duncan Village, a township outside East London in the Eastern Cape, on 23 July 1932. Not only was he a theatre practitioner but he also contributed to the education and training space in South Africa. Gibson Kente was a theatre extraordinaire he was a director, producer, playwright, music composer and choreographer of his own plays. It is from the townships that legends like him have influenced the cultural, economic and political landscapes of South Africa and various parts of the globe. Gibson Kente is referred to as the father of township theatre. Plays like How Long, I Believe and Too Late, among many others, spoke to the heart of what indigenous South Africans experienced under a repressive and foreign regime. Where Robert Sobukwe, Miriam Makeba and Nelson Mandela left an indelible mark on our imaginations, the late Gibson Kente played an equally consequential role. Soweto Theatre is proud to announce a ten day musical tribute to culture luminary and godfather of South African theatre, Gibson Kente, from 7 to 17 December 2017.
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