Joseph Musaphia

Joseph Musaphia (born 1935) is a New Zealand writer and actor who was born in London.

Biography Joseph Musaphia was born in 1935 in London and he has Portuguese ancestry. He moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia and lived there from 1938 until 1946 when they moved to Christchurch, New Zealand. He attended Christchurch Boys' High School and left age 15. He was inspired to write after attending the Unity Theatre production of Look Back In Anger by John Osborne.

The play Mother and Fathers first presented in 1975 at the Fortune Theatre in Dunedin also had presentations in at the Court Theatre and Downstage in Wellington. Musaphia acted in the early productions. It was so popular in Wellington it transferred to the much larger theatre the Opera House for three nights. In 1979 he received the first Victoria University of Wellington Writer's Fellowship.

Circa Theatre chose the Musaphia play Mates to celebrate their tenth year in 1986 and it was directed and starred Ray Henwood. Musaphia wrote his first novel in 1997, has been a columnist for The Evening Post in Wellington, and continues to write stage and radio plays.

Stage Plays 1971 – The Guerilla 1973 – Victims - premiered at Downstage 1973 1974 – Obstacles - premiered at Downstage 1974 1975 - Mother and Fathers - premiered at the Fortune Theatre, 1983 - A Fair Go For Charlie Wellman