Sizwe Banzi Is Dead

Written by Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona

Directed by Ricardo Khan

In Collaboration with Tony Award® Winner John Kani (Black Panther, Mufasa:The Lion King)

Sizwe Banzi Is Dead is a powerful, funny, and deeply moving story about identity, survival, and the extraordinary ingenuity of ordinary people navigating an unjust system. Set during South Africa’s apartheid era, the play follows a man faced with an impossible choice: disappear under the weight of an oppressive system—or reinvent himself in order to survive.  What unfolds is a story filled with wit, humanity, and resilience, revealing the profound ways Black people have always found dignity, humor, and hope even in the harshest circumstances.

In 1975, Kani and Ntshona made history when they won Tony Awards for their performances in the Broadway production, bringing international attention to the realities of apartheid through the power of storytelling. Sizwe Banzi Is Dead became a landmark in global theatre.