Online Reporter
Trust Khosa
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
VETERAN theatre practitioner and director Peter Churu’s one-hander titled “40 Days” featuring actress Stacey Dombodzvuku, will be in the spotlight this week in Harare.
The play addresses the lingering effects of Covid-19 lockdowns, which continue to haunt many.
Described as “a poetic reflection on the pandemic, pain and the power of hope,” Churu’s intriguing production not only showcases his talents as a theatre director but also revisits the wounds inflicted by the pandemic.
Running at Harare’s Theatre in the Park from today until October 25, the play emerges at a time when the pandemic has claimed countless lives and left millions jobless.
Many are still struggling to recover from the profound impact of Covid-19.
Phenomenal actor and dancer Hillary Indi is the choreographer who complemented Churu’s Complete Arts Project Trust initiative to promote the genre of theatre.
Churu, who is no stranger to similar productions, has vowed to use this medium to vividly reflect on and remember the grief people endured during the pandemic.
To ensure that the memories captured in this play are brilliantly portrayed, the award-winning Churu has roped in Dombodzvuku for the one-hander, which has been embraced by theatre lovers.
“Covid-19 was such a traumatic experience for us all,” stressed Churu, who captures the pandemic’s aftermath in his new production.
“Being under lockdown, many thoughts — some quite morbid — occupied my mind. This was the best way to cope with the crisis of death and loss.
According to its synopsis, “40 Days tells the story of a woman trapped in a foreign land during a time of overwhelming death, despair and disconnection — echoing the lived experiences of many who found themselves stranded, isolated, or emotionally paralysed during the height of the pandemic.
In “40 Days,” Churu successfully introduces the audience to a woman battling not just physical confinement but emotional fragmentation.
This mirrors the situation of many nationals who were trapped in foreign lands.
In this case, the woman is cut off from her family and culture, a situation experienced by many during the pandemic.
“Surrounded by death, loss and despair, one woman finds herself in a real quandary of emotions. In a foreign country and culture, completely cut off from her family and support networks, destiny takes over, reminding us that we are merely small players in the grand scheme of life.”
He also enlightened theatre lovers on the title of the one-hander, stating that its symbolism is rooted in both the biblical connotations of transformation and testing, as well as the original promise made during the early stages of lockdown.
“Forty days were the original lockdown period promised,” Churu emphasised.
“We all hoped and prayed it would take only that long to find a solution. When days turned into weeks and months, we kept wondering, “What happened to the promised 40 days?”
Churu pointed out that after the initial 40 days, reality dawned on many people worldwide as lockdowns continued.
The extensions brought despair and uncertainty, leaving many in destitution.
He also shared some of the challenges he faced in drafting the script and convincing the lead character to leave her husband and children behind.
“Family is larger and more important than most considerations,” he admitted.
“But the challenge was to explore the emotional nuance that drives such a choice — what motivates a woman to walk away in search of something else, especially during a global crisis?”
Churu’s play, which has been praised for exploring the weight of responsibility versus the pull of survival — or even escape — during Covid-19, is expected to bring cheer to fans.
Specifically, Churu’s production serves as a mirror to the societal issues magnified during the pandemic: isolation, grief, migration, fractured identities, and the universal yearning for meaning.
“The story is a personal reflection of life crises that I and all of us have to deal with,” said Churu. “But more importantly, it reflects the fact that there is always a silver lining. If we lose hope, then we have lost everything.”
Known for his layered, character-driven narratives, Churu wears the dual hats of writer and director — something he views as a natural extension of his process.
“I tend to direct my own stories because I believe, in the first instance, it’s my story, and I am best suited to tell it as it inspired me.”
