The Playwright: John Kani

Who is John Kani?

• Bonisile John Kani is a South African actor, director, and playwright.
• He wrote and performed in Nothing But the Truth (2001).
• The play was first performed at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown in 2002.

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Background & Early Career

• Born: 1943 in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth.
• Started acting in school plays in New Brighton with Winston Ntshona.
• Later joined the Serpent Players, a drama group formed by Athol Fugard.
• Their plays focused on township life under apartheid.

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Collaboration & Protest Theatre

• Kani, Ntshona, and Fugard co-wrote several plays:
  • Sizwe Bansi is Dead (1972) – about the pass laws during apartheid.
  • The Island (1973) – about political prisoners on Robben Island.
• Their work is known as protest theatre, which aimed to expose apartheid injustices.