Mama Afrika: Anna Mudeka Brings Miriam Makeba’s Story to Life in the North East
This October, audiences in the North East will have the chance to step into the remarkable life of one of Africa’s greatest cultural icons when Anna Mudeka brings her one-woman show Mama Afrika: Hope, Determination and Song to Alnwick Playhouse (October 10th) and Northern Stage, Newcastle (October 11th).
The production, which has been described as both a musical celebration and a political awakening, tells the story of South African singer and anti-apartheid activist Miriam Makeba, who became affectionately known around the world as Mama Afrika.
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| Anna Mudeka. Photo: Gideon Graylyons |
The Story of Mama Afrika
Miriam Makeba’s career was far more than music. Rising from the townships of South Africa, her voice carried her onto international stages where she became the first African woman to win a Grammy Award. Yet her outspoken criticism of apartheid saw her forced into exile, banned from her homeland for more than three decades.
She testified at the United Nations about the horrors of the Sharpeville massacre, married Black Panther activist Stokely Carmichael during her years in the United States, and later became a Pan-African cultural ambassador, lending her voice not only to song but also to the struggles of her people.
Makeba’s music – from the global hit Pata Pata to protest songs like Soweto Blues – continues to resonate, carrying with it the urgency of resistance and the hope of freedom.
Anna Mudeka: Carrying the Torch
For Anna Mudeka, a Zimbabwean-born singer, dancer, and storyteller now based in the UK, Makeba has always been an inspiration.
“When I was growing up in Zimbabwe, Miriam Makeba was one of the women I admired most. Seeing her perform with Paul Simon in Harare in 1987 was life-changing. Later I learned about her exile and her fearless opposition to apartheid. After she passed away in 2008, I knew I wanted to tell her story.”
Mudeka first explored Makeba’s story in 2010 but set it aside until she had developed her own one-woman show, Kure Kure, about her upbringing and migration to the UK. The experience gave her the confidence to return to Makeba. In 2016, with the support of Arts Council England, she embarked on two years of research and development.
The result was Mama Afrika: Hope, Determination and Song – a 120-minute performance combining multilingual song, narration, and traditional African musical textures. Scripted by Tomas Lutuli Brickhill and directed by Tonia Daley Campbell, the show is supported by The Miriam Makeba Foundation and has received glowing reviews from both audiences and critics.
A Show with Urgency and Relevance
The 2024 tour played to sold-out houses across the UK. For 2025, the production scales up, with 12 dates in larger theatres across the autumn season, including the two shows in Alnwick and Newcastle.
Mudeka believes Makeba’s story is more relevant than ever:
“It’s not just about South Africa or about the past. It’s about the courage to stand up to oppression, about the cost of speaking truth to power, and about the way music can inspire hope across generations. That message still resonates today.”
Audiences can expect to hear Makeba’s best-loved songs, including Mbube, Pata Pata and Soweto Blues, alongside pivotal moments of her life: the exile years, the political struggles, the international acclaim, and the personal sacrifices behind the music.
North East Dates
The shows at Alnwick Playhouse (October 10th) and Northern Stage, Newcastle (October 11th) are a rare opportunity for North East audiences to experience a performance that is as intimate as it is epic.
Alnwick Playhouse, with its community roots and reputation for high-quality touring work, provides a fitting setting for Mudeka’s storytelling, while Northern Stage offers a larger stage to match the scale and ambition of the production.
Both venues promise an unforgettable evening where audiences will be transported from the heart of South Africa’s struggle to the global stage where Makeba’s voice became synonymous with freedom.
About Anna Mudeka
Anna Mudeka has built a career as a cultural ambassador, performer, and educator. Since moving to the UK in the 1990s, she has shared African music and traditions with schools, festivals, and international audiences. Her work has earned awards and recognition, but Mama Afrika represents one of her most ambitious artistic achievements.
“This is a show I first conceived 15 years ago,” she explains. “To now be performing it in bigger theatres around the country, and to bring Miriam Makeba’s story to new audiences, feels incredibly rewarding.”
✨ This October, let Anna Mudeka’s Mama Afrika remind us how one woman’s voice can echo across continents and generations – a story of resilience, song, and the unbreakable power of hope.
If You Go
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Mama Afrika: Hope, Determination and Song
Performed by Anna Mudeka -
Alnwick Playhouse – Friday 10 October 2025
Newcastle Northern Stage – Saturday 11 October 2025
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Suitable for ages 12+
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On the web: www.annamudeka.co.uk
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