Masasa Mbangeni

"The joy that I feel when I’m on stage, I can’t explain it to anyone. It feels like that first breath of a child. It’s sore and it’s uncomfortable but it’s a sign of life"

"People have let you into their homes, to be a part of their families every day. So it shows an appreciation for your work and for your gift"

"If I’ve forgotten my heart’s song, they’ve always sung it back to me"

"As a child I felt too scared to exist in this world and the drama and acting gave me chance to go, I might be too scared, but this character might not be. So let me live it out through them"

"She’s taught me that I lose nothing by holding space for a younger actor"

"My profession is incredibly cut-throat and incredibly hard. It requires a resilience that, had I not been in the MRF programme, I don’t think I would have been able to endure. My residency helped me grapple with my own shadow: sides of me that I did not realise were not cute"