How Sydney Tina Turner musical cast felt performing when the rock legend died

The performer who plays Tina Turner in the current Sydney smash-hit musical opens up about it felt when the rock legend died one week after the show opened.

Ruva Ngwenya, who plays Tina Turner in Tina the Musical backstage at the Theatre Royal, Sydney. Picture: John Appleyard/The Daily Telegraph.

The Australian premiere of Tina — The Tina Turner Musical on May 18 was a gargantuan triumph, and one of the “happiest moments” of Ruva Ngwenya’s life.

“I’m very nervous,” the 30-year-old playing Tina told Confidential on the red carpet, minutes before curtains up.

“I’m not excited thinking about the celebrities attending. That makes me more nervous.

“It’s better to go out there and stay grounded, and think about Tina and the show we’ve rehearsed and hope that it connects with people for the reasons that we want it to.

“That’s the best we can hope for, everything else is bonuses on top.”

Ruva Ngwenya, with the photo of Tina Turner she keeps on her dressing room mirror. Picture: John Appleyard

Seven days later, Ngwenya woke to the news of the legendary performer’s death.

“I was at home in bed, and had gotten a message from someone at six in the morning,” Ngwenya exclusively told Confidential. “It was shock. Complete shock. I wasn’t sure if it was real.”

Ngwenya on the red carpet for the opening night. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Tim Omaji who plays Ike Turner. Picture: Jonathan Ng.

A barrage of incoming text messages and online news articles confirmed the world’s loss of the woman whose powerhouse vocals sold 200 million records worldwide.

The sold-out Australian musical that night still had to go on.

“There were scenes where you could hear a pin drop and no one’s breathing, and at the end we’re celebrating and dancing,” Ngwenya said.

“I could definitely feel the audience was really with us that night, really listening, and on the journey with us the whole way.”

Ngwenya says she felt the responsibility to honour Tina’s legacy from the day she was cast. Picture: Supplied

For the Australian cast, which has been rehearsing, living and breathing Turner’s life story daily since 2022, the responsibility felt was unchanged.

“I think her death changed things more for everybody else,” Ngwenya explained.

“For us involved in the show, we’ve been dedicated to Tina and her story from day dot.

We’ve been intimately involved in her life, so it more highlighted for others that she’s gone and this is probably one of the only ways you can connect with her on a visceral level.”

Ruva Ngwenya says performing the show each night requires stamina. Picture: John Appleyard

New tickets for the Australian Tina Musical have been released, extending the Sydney run. Picture: Supplied

The highly emotive, almost three-hour-long performance takes a lot out of Ngwenya, every night.

“I do feel a sense of loneliness in that she’s not here any more, and of mourning,” she said. “She left her magic to us.

“It’s more about finding my strength to do this over and over, that’s what I’m navigating now.”

The musical is currently playing at Theatre Royal in Sydney, with producers extending the show’s run with a new ticket release for shows until Christmas Eve.