Mbiko kaMadlenya back by public demand

Bongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
THOSE who missed the Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo festivities in September have been given another opportunity to relive the experience with an Intwasa Extra scheduled to take place from November 20 to 22 at the Bulawayo Theatre.

During the festival, Mbiko kaMadlenya and the Comedy Night commanded full houses – something which has prompted organisers to hold the popular events again to cater for those who may have missed them and those who could not get enough of them.

Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo director, Raisdon Baya, said they had decided to host these shows again by public demand.

“Two of the shows, Mbiko kaMadlenya and Comedy Night which were the most popular events during the recently held Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo are being brought back by public demand.

“The extra is a three-day and three-show extravaganza to usher Bulawayo residents into the festive mood,” Baya said.

He urged those who missed the Intwasa Arts Festival KoBulawayo to come in their numbers to experience the shows that drew the most numbers in terms of paying audience.

Comedian Clive Chigubu, Q the Boss, Ntando Van Moyo and Babongile Sikhonjwa will feature at the Comedy Nights. A play, The Taking, will be screened on the last day of Intwasa Extra. Baya said the play which he wrote with Memory Kumbota was about land and freedom of speech. “Theatre is an institution that deals with memory. With The Taking, the idea is to take our audiences back to those chaotic years and make them remember.

“Theatre is a bank where we should keep our very important national narratives and then, once in a while, take them out for everyone to remember who we are and where we come from.

“The Taking is also universal in that it is about survival and identity,” said Baya.