Ruva Ngwenya says she has landed the role of a lifetime,playing Tina Turner.Credit:Louise Kennerley
One of the best-selling artists of all time,Turner is known for her extraordinary dance moves almost as much as her powerful voice. She is also one of the industry’s great survivors. Originally rising to stardom in the 1960s with her husband Ike,who was later revealed to be abusive,she staged a comeback in the 1980s with a huge solo career that included a memorable role inMad Max:Beyond Thunderdome. A 12-time Grammy winner,she has also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice – with Ike in 1991,and solo in 2021. She has sold over 200 million records.
The musical was devised by Stage Entertainment,producer Tali Pelman and Turner herself. Pelman went to her home in Switzerland to talk to an initially unsure Turner about the idea and came away with her blessing. The show made its debut in London in 2018 and traces her life story –with brutal honesty say the writers – including the early days with Ike and his band,through to her later success. And naturally,it features many of the woman from Nutbush,Tennessee’s biggest hits,includingWhat’s Love Got To Do With It,Private Dancer,Proud MaryandNutbush City Limits.
If it’s a big step to take on the demanding triple-threat role as a lead in a musical,it’s a whole other challenge to play a real-life person while doing so. The pressure is next-level,says Ngwenya,whose heritage is Zimbabwean. But she was buoyed by the statement of encouragement Turner sent to the Australian cast and crew in which she said,“I am confident Ruva is going to bring her own soul to the role”.
“I can’t believe it’s me,” says Ruva Ngwenya about playing Tina Turner.Credit:Louise Kennerley
“It was nice to get that reassurance from Tina herself that I am to bring my own essence to the role and make it my own in telling her story,” says Ngwenya. “At the end of the day,no one canbe Tina Turner. She is an icon and one of a kind. It’s not my goal to karaoke or mimic or replicate her – it’s to tell her story with energy and vibrancy and truth.”
Her experience auditioning for this show has been unlike any other,she says,largely because the global creative team includes many people of colour.
“Just feeling like I’m not the only person in the room,which has been my career most of the time,” she says when asked how it’s different. “[Usually] I’ve been the only black person there,except for maybeThe Lion King. This time it feels very different. There’s a lot of diversity throughout.”