Vusumuzi DubeSimba Jemwa, Sunday Life Reporter
ART imitated life!
Her mother was one of the pioneers of Amakhosi Theatre Productions and she grew to be one of its best graduates as well.
Like her mother she was one of Cont Mdladla Mhlanga’s witches of the craft.
The Dlaminis were once cast alongside each other in principal roles and both actresses were excited to play strong female characters in a story the younger one says is still relevant for modern audiences.
Princess Dlamini was thrust into the limelight after a starring role in the original Stitsha theatre production as Thuli’s mother.
NaThuli went on to become an iconic role as did the production written and directed by the late godfather of the arts in Zimbabwe.
“I remember that she (Princess) would tell me that she really felt part of herself was Thuli’s mother and she worked the role with passion.
Whenever they went abroad, the show was performed to a full house,” said her daughter Nokuthaba.
Dlamini joined Amakhosi when it was still called Dragons Karate Club as a young girl tired of being bullied by local boys, but her daughter Nokuthaba joined expressly because of her love for theatre influenced by watching her mother work since she was nine years old.
“I became a member of Amakhosi because my mum (Princess) would encourage me to attend rehearsals although she let me make my own career choice.
I must have been nine years old when I became a full member of Amakhosi after years of attending my mother’s rehearsals,” Nokuthaba shared with Sunday Life.
“While Cont was a pioneer in the arts in general, bringing it to the average person on the streets of townships, Princess was a pioneer and kind of the beginning of a feminist movement,” Nokuthaba told Sunday Life.
“She grew up in a world where women weren’t considered equal and she carved a path for women who wanted to be successful and have a voice.
Boys became men and grew up convinced that bullying women was okay.
We get to have careers and wear whatever we want, but for those women this was a privilege that before Cont they may not have and as early on as they did. There were so many restrictions.
The passing of Cont made me realise just how hard he worked to create Amakhosi and I hope women who worked with him will remember that we have come really far and it wasn’t that easy.”
After years learning the craft from Cont, Nokuthaba then got her first starring role opposite her mother in Raisedon Baya’s Shadows that was directed by Cont’s brother, Stix.
“On opening night of Shadows there was a moment where I didn’t need to rush back to the dressing room and I could watch my mother perform.
I certainly felt a great sense of pride watching her take on this incredible role and do such an amazing job at it.”
About Mdladla himself, Nokuthaba said: “Yes, he did acknowledge me but never gave me special treatment because I was Princess’ daughter.
He treated me fairly among+ other kids. Cont taught us to be in character as long as we were on stage and my mother did this very well. I remember she would be in character in a way you could feel her.
She would dance and smile that you would love her nakanjani.
And yes, Cont and my mother inspired me get into theatre and dance. And I do it all wholeheartedly.
When I heard that Cont had passed away, it felt like my whole world had been torn apart. Like my mother’s death in 2001, I lost a reason to get on stage.
These two people are why I worked in theatre in the first place and now both of them are gone.”
@RealSimbaJemwa
Bongani Ndlovu