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Tawanda Marwizi Arts Correspondent
People who turned up for the Harare International Festival of the Arts theatre season at Reps Theatre in Belgravia had a great time as several artistes took turns to give their best.
On Friday evening arts lovers were treated to a comedy session and laughed their lungs out as local comedians Simba the Comic King, Q Dube and Clive Chigubhu as well as South Africa’s Sihle Mthembu performed.
Visiting Sihle, who doubled as the host of the show, tickled the auduence with her jokes that included a comic description of how different people dance to music.
She also took a dig at xenophobia and joked that Nigerians in South Africa were not affected because they threatened to hit back Boko Haram style.
Simba the Comic King agreed with her saying Zimbabweans, Zambians and Mozambicans were the only foreigners in that country while others were visitors.
Q Dube was the next to take the stage and he hilariously recalled how his friend lost her tablet while being searched by the police.
“When we went back to the searching point my friend said ‘You officers took my Samsung tablet ’ and the police officer said ‘We will ensure you get assistance because your health is very important, we will make sure you get your ‘tablet’ (in apparent reference to a pill),” he said.
Chigubhu was the last to perform and the young comedian left people convinced that he is among the best entertainers in the country.
“I am surprised by how people pray in Zimbabwe. They always pray with endurance, shaking the whole body. They say God is everywhere and He should be saying ‘Take it easy, you are spitting on my face’,” he said.
He said he did not understand how sungura musicians have songs that go for 15 minutes and have the longest songs in the country.
The young entertainer left people laughing their lungs out as he complemented some of his jokes with dances as well as funny gestures.
After the comedy session, solo performer Katie O’Kelly presented her play “The Olive Tree”.
For almost an hour she made the crowd follow her story that is about a rainy day in Dublin.
It is a story about a supermarket employee who rips a “boycott sticker” off a bottle of olive oil.
Boycott stickers were made by Palestinians to discourage consumers from buying products from Israel.
When the shopkeeper takes off the sticker the Palestinian olive tree of history comes to life before her and begins unveiling many stories linked to the struggles of Palestine, past, present and future.
Online Reporter