Rwandan actor, playwright and theatre director Regis Igihozo Nsengiyumva, known as Bingo Regis, has died. He died on Wednesday, September 9, in what has been described as a sudden death. News broke on Thursday as friends and fellow artists paid tribute on social media. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed yet. His family remembered him as warm and cheerful, saying he spread love and kindness wherever he was. A celebration of his life is being held at his home in Gisozi, Kigali, since Thursday, September 10. Born and raised in Kigali, Bingo developed a passion for theatre in high school and turned professional in 2014. He gained wider recognition as a contestant in the first edition of ArtRwanda - Ubuhanzi. From 2016, he built a career as an actor in contemporary Rwandan productions and international classical works. Around 2020, he began writing plays exploring Rwandan cultural identity and family relationships. He was associated at various times with Mashirika Performing Arts Company and Umutana Studio. In 2022, he co-wrote Petit Kesho (Little Kesho), an Ishyo Arts Centre production blending theatre, music, poetry and ecological themes. One of his most notable personal works, Indemarugamba, premiered in November 2023 and was later named a 2024 laureate of Institut français' Des Mots à la Scène programme. He was also selected for the 2023 International Forum of Berliner Festspiele's Theatertreffen in Germany, and in 2024 appeared at Zoo ou l'Assassin Philanthrope-Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, alongside Rwandan artistes Dorcy Rugamba and Weya Viatora. His family said that while those close to him mourn a son, brother and friend, his creative legacy endures: His light and his artistry will continue to shine in the hearts of those he touched.
