‘I’ll be back’

● When theatre lovers flock to the Joburg Theatre on Thursday for the opening night of August Wilson’s iconic play Fences, legendary actor John Kani will not be playing the lead as planned.

Kani announced this week that he would be stepping down for medical reasons.

“It is with great sadness that I have to announce that I will be stepping down from the role of Troy Maxon in August Wilson’s Fences .I am quite sure that I shall recover from this temporary medical condition and be back at work again soon,” he said in a statement.

Describing it as a dream role that he had longed to play, Kani said a bout of vertigo and balance problems made the role too demanding for him.

Committed to continuing his work with the theatre and the production, Kani, 79, will still play a significant role as co-producer.

Actor Tumisho Masha, 47, has taken over the role. He was originally cast as Jim Bono, Troy’s best friend, but was also Kani’s understudy. He is known for numerous television series, including Isibaya and The Wild, and film roles in international productions such as Catch a Fire, Beyond Borders and Mandela’s Gun.

Fences, first performed in the US in 1985, has an all-star ensemble, including Hlomla Dandala and Kani’s son Atandwa as Troy’s son. The play tells the story of a troubled family headed by Troy and his wife, played by Khutjo Green. In the 2016 film adaptation starring Denzel Washington, actress Viola Davis won an Oscar for this role.

Staged in celebration of Black History Month, rehearsals started two weeks ago, when Kani was still in good health. At the time he said: “It is so fitting that the Joburg Theatre celebrates this great writer in February 2023 during Black History Month. Would it not be wonderful if we here in South Africa could also have a season in all theatres celebrating our writers as well?”

Kani has assured concerned fans that this setback does not signal the end of his career.

“I have no doubt that Tumisho will do great justice to this challenging part — as I would have done,” Kani said.