Twenty Top Theatre Makers honoured at Joburg Theatre’s Diamond Jubilee Evening of Celebration
On the 16 July 2022, Joburg Theatre celebrated 60 years of theatre making with a commemorative evening of theatre, music and dance. The Diamond Jubilee Evening of Celebration was a night to look back and what has been and forward to what will come from the theatre and Joburg City Theatres (JCT) as a collective. During the evening twenty theatre makers were honoured for their contribution to theatre over the last 60 years.
“Our focus was on honouring the people have become huge creatives interwoven with this space, you have all this beautiful space, all the infrastructure but you have to have content.
This production not only paid homage to the creatives of the past but aimed to speak to a younger audience and members of the contemporary landscape who may have not been privy to what has been and remind them of the big shoulders they stand on in what is to come. This theatre is not 60 years old, its 60 years young and it’s just galloping ahead,” said James Ngcobo, recently appointed Artistic Director of JCT and director of the Diamond Jubilee Evening of Celebration.
Over the course of the evening the following theatre makers were honoured in the diamond walk of fame: Patrick Mynhard, Mimi Coetzee, Des/Dawn Lindberg, Joan Brickhill, Janice Honeyman, Johnny Clegg, Athol Fugard, John Kani, Pieter Dirk-Uys, Mirriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Sibongile Khumalo, Gibson Kente, Prof Mzilikazi Khumalo, Tobie Cronje, Desmond Dube, Thembi Mtshali-Jones, Brenda Fassie, Trevor Noah and Greg Maqoma.
“It has been a great joy and privilege to be able honour these leading lights in the theatre community. The role they have played in the success of the art’s industry in Joburg and the country can never be overstated. Their influence and inspiration can be felt in tonight’s performances, in the 60th celebrations programming and in the Joburg Theatre itself as we look to the next 60 years,” said Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema, CEO of Joburg City Theatres.