“I'd read Shakespeare in school, translated into isiXhosa, and loved the stories, but I hadn't realised before I started reading the English text how powerful the language was - the great surging speeches Othello has.”

South African actor and playwright

John Kani is a South African actor and playwright. Born Bonisile John Kani, he is known for his screen roles in films such as Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, The Lion King, and Murder Mystery, and for his work in theatre during the apartheid era. He co-wrote Sizwe Banzi Is Dead in 1975 with Athol Fugard and Winston Ntshona, and also performed in it. His career spans stage and film, with work that has connected him to both anti-apartheid theatre and major popular screen productions.