AFTER seven years on TV, award-winning actor Thobani Nzuza is going back to where it all began, the theatre stage.
The Isitha: The Enemy star is bringing back his play, Boy Ntulikazi, a production that has travelled across Mzansi, won multiple awards and even made its way into classrooms as a textbook.
The play, which he co-wrote with Kagiso Tshimakwane, will be staged at Seabrooke's Theatre at Durban High School in Durban, KZN, from 1 to 3 May.
For Thobani (32), this is more than just a performance, it's a full-circle moment.
"After seven years on television, I'm finally coming back to the stage. Theatre is where it all began for me. I think back to 2016 and 2017 when I travelled across the country with a play, carrying nothing but a dream and a deep love for storytelling.
"I was only 23 years old. I had no institutional support, no big sponsors, only faith, courage and people who believed in me when I was still a nobody," he said.
Seven years ago, Thobani took a chance on television, a move that paid off when he won a Safta for Best Actor in a TV Drama for his role on eHostela.
The actor, who has become a household name through shows such as eHostela, DiepCity, The Black Door and now Isitha: The Enemy, said he'll never forget the people who helped him along the way.
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"I remember the kindness that carried me. I remember Reggie Mampensela Ndlovu fetching me from Park Station and taking me to Diepkloof Hall so I could audition for the Zabalaza Theatre Festival.
"I remember Menzi Mkhwane writing a message on Facebook asking people to donate so I could travel to Cape Town for the festival. Because of that love and support, we went to the festival and won best production and best actor. Those moments changed my life," he said.
But despite his success on screen, he said his love for theatre has never faded.
"Today, years later, my love for storytelling is still burning just as strongly. And this time, I return to the theatre stage not only as a performer, but as someone deeply grateful for the journey and the people who made it possible," Thobani said.
For Thobani, this return is not just about revisiting the past, but about honouring the journey that shaped him into the actor he is today.
"If you have ever believed in a dream, if you have ever supported a young artist, if you have ever loved theatre. This one is for you," the actor added.
