Mandla Mbothwe

Mandla Mbothwe is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Cape Town, and a renowned South African theatre practitioner with over two decades of experience. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Mud and Fire Parables, Co-Artistic Director at Magnet Theatre and Mbothwe and Doni Collectives. His academic career includes lecturing, supervising MA students, and conducting research on memory, spirituality, and social justice through performance.

• Education: Master’s (2006), Honours (2004), and Diploma (1996) in Theatre and Performance from University of Cape Town

Research Interests focus on reclaiming stolen memories and buried stories through Ritual Performances, Site-Specific Theatre, and Public Mass Participatory Arts. His work interrogates cultural heritage, trauma healing, and community empowerment in post-apartheid contexts.

Scientific Awards include multiple Fleur du Cap Innovations in Theatre Awards, Eastern Cape Arts & Culture Award for Drama, and international recognition through the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. Notably, he shared the Handspring Puppetry Award for Best Visual Theatre in 2010.

As a supervisor, he guided MA students Warona Seane and Owen Manamela Mogane on the SS Mendi centennial research project (2017–2018). His teaching spans bilingual acting, directing, professional practice, and honors-level courses on Theatre of Rituals and Spirituality.