Three plays, two days, one venue – Savanna Trust presents ACCEL ZW

SAVANNA Trust, a Harare based arts organisation, is set to stage three plays in two days in Bulawayo, the City of Kings and Queens.

The plays, to be held on Friday and Saturday, are part of a programme called ACCEL ZW, which aims to boost the creative, entrepreneurial, and leadership skills of emerging theatre practitioners in Zimbabwe.

The programme, supported by the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe and The Delegation of the European Union to Zimbabwe, targets community theatre groups from marginalised communities and those led by women and young people. It has enhanced the capacity and skills of 80 artists and four theatre groups from Bulawayo, Chimanimani, Gwanda and Hwange.

The programme also provides opportunities for the groups to perform at professional venues and festivals, network with industry leaders, and use digital platforms to market, distribute and monetize their artistic work.

Savanna Trust programs officer Teddy Mangawa said hosting the shows at Bulawayo Theatre was inspired by the need to expose the artists to professional standards and practices.

“A lot of these artists frequently operate in communities where they have limited access to professional theatre venues. Most of them perform in community halls or ‘under the tree’ setup hence never getting a true appreciation of what professional theatre entails in terms of artistic presentation. Bulawayo Theatre is a platform that can give them that necessary exposure, with proper set design, costume and lights.

“Also, theatre is a business, and should be promoted as a viable business that should support the livelihoods of the artists, so if you look at these plays, they are paid performances, which means the money collected from gate takings is theirs and this means they are able to have sustainable livelihoods,” said Mangawa.

The three plays that will be showcased are Chiyandisyo Chilalikali, True Lies and Isiphelo Sohambo.

Chiyandisyo Chilalikali is a play that explores the dilemma of a father who tries to stop his daughter from going to the United States on a soccer scholarship. The father has a dark secret – he sacrificed his daughter to a ritualist in order to make his church one of the most prominent churches in the land. The play is a blend of music, dance and physical theatre. The cast includes Lucky Munzabwa, Matengu Mutabani, Bertha Phiri, Londokuhle Tshuma, Russel Shoko and Jacqueline Mano.

True Lies is a production that deals with themes of identity, loyalty and betrayal. The play is an exciting theatre production driven by elements of physical movements, ritual theatre, poetry, song and percussions. The play was written by Memory Kumbota, directed by Adrian Musa and performed by Kukhanyakwenkosi Mkhandla, Ryan Ndlovu and Bathabile Nyathi.

Isiphelo Sohambo depicts a rise in people especially men committing suicide due to different mental health issues some interrogated thoroughly in this play. The title is inspired by the desire to expose some of the issues that lead men to their “Last mile of the way” hence “Isiphelo Sohambo”. One of the objectives of the play is to encourage men especially men who are in positions of influence who find it difficult to open up about issues depressing them to find ways to open up, hoping that this aid in the reduction of suicide cases or other mistakes or crimes committed by men going through difficult times in their lives.

The play was written and directed by Mzingaye Ngwabi, performed by Leslie Masuku and Khumbilani Ncube.

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