Nzinga
A creation by the Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui and the Théâtre de La Sentinelle
As part of Black History Month, Théâtre français de Toronto presents Nzinga, a one-woman show presented in French with English Surtitles.
Born in the Congo, Tatiana Zinga Botao grew up in Brussels before moving to Quebec. As an adult, she discovers that she shares her name with a queen who ruled over a vast African territory in the 17th century. Alone on stage, the artist retraces the ancestral thread that connects her to her namesake while following the Congo-Belgium-Canada triangle she herself has traveled.
Co-written by Alexis Diamond, Marie Louise Bibish Mumbu, and Tatiana Zinga Botao, Nzinga portrays exile as a stance of pride and dignity. With the collaboration of French-Congolese director Albertine M. Itela, the creators set out to tell their own stories in their own way, while sharing their vision of a world where women take their rightful place in positions of influence and power.
Cast: Tatiana Zinga Botao
Text: Alexis Diamond and Marie Louise Bibish Mumbu with the collaboration of Tatiana Zinga Botao
Director: Albertine M. Itela
Assistant director: Josianne Dulong-Savignac
Set design: Xavier Mary
Lighting: Valérie Bourque
Soundscape: Larsen Lupin
Video: Joy Boissière
Costumes: Ange Blédja Kouassi
Movement: Claudia Chan Tak
Make-up: Audrey Toulouse
Scenic painting: Véronique Pagnoux
Video integration: Vladimir Cara
Stage manager: Ariane Brière
Production manager: Marie-Christine Martel
Technical director: Xavier Côté
February 26
to February 28, 2026
Tickets are Regular: $60 | Seniors: $50 | Under 30 & Artists: $22.50 | Same-day rush tickets: $15, $20, or $25 | Group rate (8+): $20 per ticket
Franco Boni Theatre
Thursday, February 26 – 8pm
Friday, February 27 – 8pm
Saturday February 28 – 3pm
This performance is 70 minutes
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Directed by Andrew Moodie
When Alliston, a high-achieving graduate student, discovers that the $35,000 from his mother’s life insurance – meant to cover his tuition – has gone missing, he spirals into crisis. As he enters desperation, he is forced to confront his estranged father, Daniel, and the unresolved grief that has fractured their relationship.
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Cast:
TBA