Online Reporter
Gift Moyo [email protected]
ACCLAIMED Zimbabwean author Petina Gappah tonight premieres her latest stage production, Yellow Dog Dingo, at Reps Theatre in Harare, marking another milestone in her growing body of theatrical work.
The play, directed by award-winning theatre practitioner Tafadzwa “Bob” Mutumbi, will run until July 25 and features a cast that includes Zimbabwean actor and Big Brother Africa 2010 runner-up Munyaradzi Chidzonga.
Written by Gappah, one of Zimbabwe’s most celebrated contemporary authors, Yellow Dog Dingo explores grief, trauma and abuse within the church through the story of a man confronting the priest who abused him as a child.
Speaking ahead of the premiere, Gappah said the production grew from an earlier story she was developing about a middle-class family before evolving into a deeper exploration of grief and the loss of innocence.
“The play came about because I was writing a story about a middle-class family and I wanted to explore the darker side of the middle-class dream. Over the years, it became a powerful story about different kinds of grief, including the loss of innocence,” she said.
She described Yellow Dog Dingo as a bold theatrical production that combines dialogue, movement, music and visual storytelling to create an immersive experience.
“There’s never been a production like this in Zimbabwe. Yellow Dog Dingo is the first of its kind. It’s an interplay between words, body, sound, scenery and music in a way that is quite exceptional,” Gappah said.
The production also reunites Gappah with Mutumbi, who previously collaborated with her on Rotten Row and directed Black Sunlight.
Gappah said their longstanding creative partnership has been instrumental in bringing her theatrical vision to life.
Best known for acclaimed literary works including The Book of Memory, An Elegy for Easterly, Rotten Row and Out of Darkness, Shining Light, Gappah continues to expand her footprint in theatre while working on new productions, including Welcome to the Annex and That Is That.
