Joburg City Theatres (JCT) has an award-winning actor steering its artistic vision. Known for his commanding roles in the SABC 2 hit sitcom Stokvel, Netflix’s crime drama Queen Sono, and his tremendous contribution to South African theatre, James Ngcobo — actor, director, and producer — needs no further introduction.

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​​​Ngcobo joined JCT on 1 July as Artistic Director and is excited to work with its dynamic team. In this role, he will be responsible for developing and implementing an artistic vision for JCT’s spaces. He believes a great leader should not hoard ideas but share them with colleagues.

Ngcobo wants to create a platform for untold stories. “I’d like to look at the new stories that have never been staged yet. Stories that need an introduction to the Joburg Theatre space.”

He says he is looking forward to being brave enough to try things that have been an untapped territory for theatres. “The country has evolved. There are nationalities that were not in Joburg 22 years ago and they’ve come with stories. How do we curate those stories?”

“Changing something has a lot to do with adding something that has not been done before, without getting rid of what works,” he adds.

Ngcobo has worked in theatre, television, and film. He is a seasoned artistic director with local and international work under his belt. He is also the co-founder of Sibojama Theatre. He hails from Durban and started at the Loft Theatre Company. His desire to enter the creative field was sparked by reading William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice when he was in high school.“That was the gateway for me. I just fell in love,” he says.

The first time he set foot on stage, he knew he was “home”. He admires seasoned actors and writers, among others, the late Patrick Shai, Nicholas Ellenbogen and Adam Small. This is why he has a love for mentorship since it is fundamental in creating the future for the next generation.

Ngcobo is not a stranger to JCT. He served as Artistic Director for Arts Alive from 2009 until 2011. He also featured in Waiting for Godot in 1998 at the then Johannesburg Civic Theatre (now Joburg Theatre) and he directed The Suitcase, which was staged as the very first production to open the Soweto Theatre in 2012. He also co-produced with the Market Theatre and Roodepoort Theatre an Afrikaans classic play titled Kamphoer, which won two Naledi Awards in 2022.

Among his greatest accomplishments is creating Songs of Migration with the legendary Hugh Masekela, which toured around the world. James says theatre is for everyone. “It’s a space of heart and emotion, similar to when a boy sees a girl for the first time and his heart flatters. Audiences come to the theatre when we go out of our way to create a theatre with excellence. We must go out of our way to make the best theatre we can ever make. When you do that, you maintain a certain standard of calibre for a theatre,” he adds.

When not working, James is either cooking at home or reading. He also loves to walk. He describes himself as a passionate, curious, and humble creative who is set to incorporate these traits and more into his new role.

For more information on Ngcobo’s work, go to the Joburg Theatre website: https://www.joburgtheatre.com/.

Written by Brümilda Swartbooi
16.9.2022​