Savanna Trust courts SA partners

Brenda Phiri Entertainment Reporter
Savanna Trust, a theatre company has collaborated with South African groups called Wushwini Arts Centre and Umsindo theatre productions to produce a play entitled “Swallowed”.
The group made up of Savanna Trust director Daniel Maposa, 2014 National Arts Merit Awards best male actor in theatre Tafadzwa Hananda, 2012 Nama best actor Teddy Mangawa, Nyaradzo Nhongonhema Nama outstanding actress Caroline Mashingaidze and Anthony Mazheteser have been in South Africa for three weeks.

Maposa, Hananda and Mangawa are part of the “Swallowed” cast that consist of three other South African actors.

This union came about after a successful campaign at Tsoho International Theatre and Dance festival in Bloemfonteinthat saw the team perfoming a play adapted from Dambudzo Marechera’s “Pub Stories”.

In the upcoming play, Maposa is co-directing together with Roel Twijnstra and Wushwini director Jerry Pooe.

“Swallowed is a play about greed that has engulfed our society,” said Maposa in an interview from South Africa.

“It was produced in South Africa by Wushwini Arts Centre. The production looks at how our society has become so self-centred and driven by greed.

“It has reached an extent of destroying the very society that must provide everyone with a livelihood,” he said.

Maposa added that while he was excited about the exposure the team was gaining from networking, they were using the opportunity to expose what Zimbabwe has to offer in terms of talent.

“We should not underestimate ourselves. Developments like these show that our plays have an appeal to the regional market and that is positive” he said.

The production will be performed at the Uhuru International festival, hosted by Wushwini. In October, it will be brought to the Protest Arts International Festival before it is performed at other local, regional and international festivals and venues.

The same festival will see Savanna Trust performing the 2014 NAMA Award winning Best Theatrical production, “Half Empty Half Full”. The play features the duo of Teddy Mangawa and Tafadzwa Hananda.