Legendary actor John Kani pulls out of Fences' due to illnessAward-winning actor John Kani is stepping down from his lead role as Troy in a theatre show Fences' due to ill health.
by Rae Seleme
25-01-2023 16:57
in Entertainment
Fences' star John Kani will be replaced by Tumisho Masha. Image via Twitter @CapeTalk
Legendary actor John Kani, who co-produces and plays Troy in Fences has been replaced by Isidingo star Tumisho Masha due to vertigo illness.
--
ALSO READ: Murder Mystery 2': John Kani bags ANOTHER Hollywood role
JOHN KANI: I WILL BE STEPPING DOWN' The award-winning theatre legend John Kani announced he's stepped down from the lead role Troy he's been playing in a theatre show Fences due to ill health.
It is with great sadness that I have to announce that I will be stepping down from the role of Troy in August Wilson's Fences. It is a role I have long dreamed of playing. However, a bout of vertigo and the concurrent imbalance that it causes is precluding me from stepping on stage in this demanding role.
Kani assures audiences that he will continue co-producing the show and be part of rehearsals.
--
I will, however, continue to play a significant role as co-producer and continue to be part of the rehearsals, working closely with the director and the cast. I am delighted to advise that the director has chosen the highly talented and experienced actor, Tumisho Masha, to succeed me in the role.
I have no doubt that Tumisho will do great justice to this challenging part as I would have done. I would like to wish the director, the cast, the designers, and the crew great success in staging this exciting work. I am quite sure that I shall recover from this temporary medical condition and be back at work again soon, he said.
ALSO READ:John Kani NEVER met Meghan: Who made Mandela comparison?
BACKGROUND OF FENCES' Tumisho Masha, who is replacing the actor John Kani will be replaced by Lunga Radebe in playing Troy's best friend Jim Bono in Fences.
--
The show is a 1985 play that tells the story of a family, headed by Troy and his wife Rose (Khutjo Green), who navigate various challenges with their son Cory (Atandwa), Troy's brother Gabriel (Sbusiso Mamba), Bono (Lunga Radebe) and Lyons (Dandala) - Troy's son from a previous relationship.
The play also features Khutjo Green, Black Panther star Atandwa Kani and The River star Hlomla Dandala.
Fences director Ricardo Khan told Sowetan: I'm very excited to be directing this stellar cast and look forward to playing to Joburg audiences. Rehearsals are on track with the cast in high spirits as we prepare to start previews on the 2nd of February and an official opening on the 5th of February.
The popular play Fences is set to open at the Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, from 2 February, according to Sowetan
ALSO READ:Theatre legend John Kani turns eye to modern South Africa
ALSO READ:Dr John Kani's Kunene and the King' comes to the Joburg Theatre
CASTING NEWS:
John Kani, Khutjo Green, Atandwa Kani & Hlomla Dandala in Fences
Fences is a 1985 play set in the 1950s, and featured Denzel Washington & Viola Davis in the 2016 screen adaptation.
The play will debut at Joburg Theatre in February 2023.#KgopoloReports pic.twitter.com/KQ6tiSVV0N
Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) December 15, 2022
How much of a rugby fanatic are you? FIVE easy answers could win you a signed jersey! ENTER HERE
Africa Stories
01/04/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
26/03/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), has been tasked with administering the Sixth Presi...
24/03/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites eligible Tier 1 and 2 South African production companies to submit proposals to serve as the Facilitating ...
15/03/2026
Johannesburg, 14 March 2026 - On 13 and 14 March 2026, the 19th Annual South Afr...
12/03/2026
Johannesburg, 11 March 2026 - The 19th Annual South African Film and Television ...
03/03/2026
Click here for isiXhosa version.
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites aspiring and emerging filmmakers from Matatiele and surrounding areas to...
17/02/2026
Johannesburg, 17 February 2026 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), ...
09/02/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture and custodian of the SAFTAs, is calling on all South Afri...
09/02/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
09/02/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the call for training provider submissions is open. This funding aims to award grants ...
06/02/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
04/02/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites final-year animation students to participate in an exclusive creative showcase at the Annecy International...
02/02/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in partnership with the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), is calling for applications from experienced Sou...
29/01/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in collaboration with a distribut...
28/01/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in partnership with the Oudtshoorn Municipality, invites aspiring and emerging filmmakers to apply for the Sediba...
20/01/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
07/01/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), in collaboration with a distributor, is commissioning new micro-budget fiction feature films and invites eligible...
31/10/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30 October 2025
It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Segomotso Keorapetse, an award- winning South African television d...
29/10/2025
It's not the wonders of the world that make a place; it's the people. As...
07/10/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
02/10/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce the opening...
30/09/2025
Johannesburg, South Africa, 29 September 2025: The National Film and Video Found...
26/09/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation, an agency of the Department of Sport, Ar...
26/09/2025
https://www.nfvf.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/fully-Inclusive-nfvf-invitatio...
29/08/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
27/08/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
25/08/2025
Theme: One Story. One Industry. One Future. - Celebrating South Africa's Screen Legacy, Together
Johannesburg - The National Film and Video Foundation (N...
04/08/2025
S o Paulo Film and Audiovisual Company (Spcine) and the National Film and Video ...
15/07/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
28/06/2025
Johannesburg, 27 June 2025 - As the nation commemorates Youth Month
2025, the N...
24/06/2025
Panels of the National Film and Video Foundation in Accordance with the NFVF Act...
13/06/2025
Johannesburg, 12 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an a...
11/06/2025
Johannesburg, South Africa - 10 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundati...
10/06/2025
Johannesburg, South Africa - 10 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundati...
06/06/2025
S o Paulo Film and Audiovisual Company (Spcine) and the National Film and Video ...
05/06/2025
Johannesburg, South Africa 4 June 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundatio...
29/05/2025
Rest in Power, a True Legend of Our Screens
Johannesburg, South Africa 27 May...
29/05/2025
Johannesburg, South Africa 28 May 2025 - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Vincent Blennies, has resigned from...
22/05/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
13/05/2025
The NFVF, an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture that was create...
10/05/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
09/05/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
09/04/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
08/04/2025
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Vincent Blennies as Chief Exec...
04/04/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) invites final-year animation students to submit character designs inspired by lead characters from any South Afric...
14/03/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/03/2025
Antis pticos Orales: Revisi n De La Literatura Y Perspectiva Actual Influenza son contradictorios, dadas las elevadas tasas de curaci n espont nea. De ser neces...
Legendary actor John Kani pulls out of Fences' due to illnessAward-winning actor John Kani is stepping down from his lead role as Troy in a theatre show Fences' due to ill health.
