Joburg City Theatres restructures executive management

Ndudeni-Ngema

"On implementing the merger of the three city-owned theatres earlier this year, we saw that the current duties of the chief executive officer required separating between two executives going forward," says the board's chairperson Dr Mongane Wally Serote. "The governance and compliance priorities for a CEO, who is also the accounting officer of a Municipal Entity, left little time for the stage production responsibilities."

Changing roles

Bernard Jay, who has held the position of CEO at Joburg Theatre for 13 years, will step down from that role at the end of June and will then take up the newly created position of executive producer for Joburg Theatre. Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema has been appointed as chief executive officer as from 1 July.

Nduneni-Ngema, 20 years in the arts

Nduneni-Ngema has worked in the arts industry for more than 20 years, serving in various portfolios and positions within both the public and private sectors. She is the former CEO of the South African State Theatre in Pretoria and former project manager of the Newtown Cultural Precinct.

In Newtown, Nduneni-Ngema introduced a number of festivals and concerts that were a first for Johannesburg. She is currently CEO of Bassline Music Centre and director and producer for Sibojama Theatre, a company established by Hugh Masekela and James Ngcobo. Nduneni-Ngema is a council member of Windybrow Theatre, a board member of Emthonjeni Arts Residency and Dance Umbrella and a director of the Joburg Fashion District.

"I am looking forward to the new challenges of the merged Joburg City Theatres," says Nduneni-Ngema. "I am excited at being part of an industry that keeps reinventing itself by creating opportunities for artists and work that has potential to tour to international playhouses."

Jay to mark 50th anniversary

In September this year, British-born Bernard Jay marks his 50th anniversary of working in the entertainment industry. His career as theatre manager, commercial theatre general manager, artists' personal manager, associate producer and executive producer of shows has taken him across the globe, into London's West End and onto New York's Broadway.

During his tenure as CEO at Joburg Theatre, Jay has also served as executive producer of many shows at the theatre, including The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband, Debbie Does Dallas, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Aspects of Love, Footloose, The Boys in the Photograph, 11 annual festive season pantomimes written and directed by Janice Honeyman and the upcoming Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Starlight Express.

"I'm delighted that I have been appointed Joburg Theatre's first full-time executive producer and that I will be continuing to identify, negotiate, contract and sometimes produce world-class entertainment for a truly world-class venue," says Jay. "I'm grateful to our board of directors for understanding the management priorities of Joburg City Theatres and recognising the essential profile in the entertainment industry of a resident theatre producer."