Ruva Ngwenya has been gracing Australian stages since her early years, firstly playing the Melbourne jazz bar circuit at the age of 16. Her professional musical theatre debut came in 2013 as Shenzi in The Lion King. On completion of The Lion King, a string of successful musicals followed, including We Will Rock You, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, Ragtime and Moulin Rouge: The Musical, solidifying Ruva as one of musical theatre’s most sought-after performers.
Ruva Ngwenya is currently starring as Tina in Tina Turner: The Musical which is touring nationally and for which she has received extraordinary reviews.
Ruva has an impressive list of accolades to her name, including winning the Sydney Theatre Awards Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Musical Award and being announced as the Marie Claire Women of the Year Awards Rising Star. 2024 also sees Ruva nominated for the Time Out Arts & Culture Awards Best Performance in a leading role in a musical.
Other career highlights include leading the cast as the headline act in the pre-show entertainment for the NRL Grand Final for an estimated viewing audience of 3.25 million. This moment was matched by Ruva performing the National Anthem at the 2024 STATE of ORIGIN decider. Ruva recreated the iconic 1995 moment where Tina Turner climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge as part of the infamous NRL commercial featuring her hit song “The Best.” On the eve of the first performance of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Theatre Royal Sydney Ruva made the same climb.
Ruva’s intrinsic musical instincts pay homage to her Zimbabwean heritage and Ruva is a celebrated alumni of the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS) and has studied a Bachelor of Music Performance at Melbourne University’s Victorian College of the Arts.
Ruva enjoys self-expression and art exploration through the release of her original music. The release of E.P. Humble Brag, a vibrant body of work encompassing pop, RnB and afrobeat influences, was released in 2018. Lead single S.W.E.A.T. was a featured work during the 2021 Australian Open channel 9 Broadcast. You can find Ruva’s music on all streaming platforms.
An accomplished and versatile live performer, Ruva Ngwenya is sought out for corporate events, cabaret shows and private functions. With acting credits on Neighbours, Ruva has proven to be a triple threat with a strong presence and future in the Australian entertainment industry. She is breaking down barriers for performers of diverse backgrounds and showcasing a new and fresh take on what it means to entertain.
