Chronicle Editor
Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
THEATRE and history lovers are set to enjoy a two-day theatrical experience when Umkhathi Theatre Works stages “Bayethe Nkosi” on Friday and Saturday at the Bulawayo Amphitheatre.
The play, written by Thabani Moyo, directed by Matesu Dube and conceptualised by Nkosikhona Ndlovu will take the audience on an excursion of historical proportions with the spotlight shone on King Lobengula.
The play’s director Matesu Dube assured theatre fans of an experience to remember when the play premieres.
“We’re prepared to premiere the show this Friday. The audience should come and witness an African story that resonates with them,” he said.
Dube said the play will bring to life, the pre-independence era and debunk some myths about Zimbabwe’s rich history and cultural heritage.
“Bayethe Nkosi is a theatrical production centred around the last days of King Lobengula and the battles his charges fought with the white settlers in an effort to resist colonisation. It’s a re-imagination of the heroic historical events that King Lobengula and his impis got engaged in. The play seeks to correct, preserve and promote Zimbabwe’s rich history and cultural heritage. It corrects some of the misinformation surrounding Lobengula’s role in the colonisation of Zimbabwe and will act as a historical record.”
He said the play depicts Lobengula as a strategist who fought to defend colonisation by white settlers and faced immense pressure from outside and inside his own state.
“The play will pay tribute to some of the gallant sons and daughters of the Ndebele State who fought alongside Lobengula. General Mtshana Khumalo is one such hero that the play pays tribute to,” shared Dube.
Class will be in session for this two-day extravaganza which will tell compelling stories of the Ndebele king who was purported to have ‘disappeared into thin air’.
“The battle of Pupu marked the disappearance of King Lobengula as General Mtshana Khumalo and his regiment blocked his capture by the colonists. His whereabouts were never known again. The play also pays tribute to Queen Lozikeyi who took the leadership role after the disappearance of Lobengula,” said Dube.
Bayethe Nkosi will also tap into traditional dances that help to investigate and celebrate the Ndebele culture and belief systems. – @eMKlass_49
Online Reporter