Australia has found its Tina
Image: Ruva Ngwenya will play Tina Turner in the upcoming bio-musical. Photo: Daniel Boud
Zimbabwean Australian, Ruva Ngwenya is no newcomer to the entertainment world, but now she has to learn how to be a legend. She’s playing the enviable and challenging lead role in the upcoming production of Tina – The Tina Turner Musical.
Ngwenya was told months ago that she had got the part, but the official announcement was only made this week.
“It feels more like a celebration that includes everybody and now I can kind of talk freely about my life and what I’m up to and how excited I am,” says Ngwenya about having finally having the secrecy lifted.
It took twelve rounds of auditions over a period of 3 to 4 months before the hopeful contenders were shortlisted. The ten days between the last audition and Ngwenya being told she was going to be Tina were tense, but at least she had her gig with Moulin Rouge as a distraction.
Ngwenya’s impressive resume includes parts in We Will Rock You, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Ragtime, The Lion King, as well as an acting role in Neighbours, live music performances, and writing and recording her own music. Her career kicked off, somewhat auspiciously, in high school when she sang “River Deep, Mountain High” as Tina Turner.
“To be here now at 30, 15 years later playing Tina, it feels really special and full circle, because that was my start,” says Ngwenya.
“Growing up I was singing her music without really knowing. I was dancing the “Nutbush” with all the kids – I don’t think I ever really knew that it was Tina Turner – so it’s interesting to note that she has had an influence over my life without me even realising.”
For the last few months Ngwenya has been in “Tina boot camp”. She went to London to see the show there and rehearse with the team, and now she’s spending six days a week learning her lines, working out at the gym, getting to know Tina. while at the same time retaining her individuality.
“The idea of the show is not to imitate or become like a karaoke version of Tina, it’s to tell Tina’s story and to have her essence and star power, but to be real and honest,” Ngwenya explains. “It’s really about bringing my honest truth and my sass and my soul to the role and breathing new life into it.”
While Tina: The Tina Turner Musical features all of Turner’s greatest hits, Ngwenya says it isn’t a juke box musical. The songs are seamlessly integrated into the story, the life story of Tina Turner. From poverty and hardship in Nutbush, Tennessee, Turner rose to glorious heights, becoming an inspiration to women and to the Black community.
Ngwenya describes it as humbling and an honour to play the role of someone as iconic as Tina Turner.
“As a Black woman myself who was born and bred proudly in Australia, I have my own experience with race and being a minority, and so I can use that to draw upon to honestly tell the story.”
So, what can audiences expect?
“Get ready for a drama that is very inspiring and is very moving… but then it’s also a rock’n’roll concert so get ready to dance!”
