Where is the theatre association?
Zimbabwe is one of the greatest countries in Africa and the world over, its one country that is pregnant with hullabaloos, contradictions, opportunists, dictators feeding almost every news agency in the world with a story to tell and naturally feeding themselves with anything that comes across. This is a rare talent that most Zimbabweans have, its greatness thrust upon them to identify an opportunity, loophole or pothole and use it wisely – not necessarily the correct definition of ‘wise’ according to oxford dictionary.
From the political crisis/impasse, to the economic decline/decay, to humanitarian total collapse right through the inclusive government - a story has been told but one thing that has been given little notice is that Zimbabwe has the finest brains to plan strategize but explicitly the worst implementers. This has been one element that has immensely contributed to the collapse of the country as it has spread like cholera across the whole country leaving nothing but trail of untamed disaster.
In 2008 we had some theatre practitioners namely going around the country mobilizing for a theatre association that seeks to address burning issues affecting theatre practitioners. Actors and actresses who have been grossly affected by shortchanging producers were eager to see a body that will protect them and most importantly help the theatre fraternity grow shaping a new and sustainable future in Theatre arts. A noble idea indeed thought and initiated by prominent artists with a vision to set new inclinations. Read more
Vakomana Vaviri veZimbabwe
Athol Fugard recounts the story of how he got a visit from some black actors in East London in the sixties. They wanted his help and support to put on the Greek play ‘Antegone’ by Socrates. This led to his continued involvement with the actors in the black township of New Brighton. The play had very strong resonance with the residence and people of South Africa at that time. Classical Greek plays by their nature are quite spare of props and lend themselves to staging in bare settings. However the real leap happened because of the persistent police harassment when one of the actors was arrested before he could perform in the play. He ended up in Robben Island. There he finally got to realise his ambition by putting on a performance for the prison warders at year’s end. This was a custom in the prison that prisoners put on a fifteen minute performance once a year. He chose to focus on Antegone’s speech to the King Creon. He knew the whole play by heart. He created a performance around the speech with another prisoner. This is the play ‘The Island’. So the play ‘Antegone’ transmuted itself into ‘The Island’. This, in the best sense of the word, is the ‘township’ theatre.
When I went to see ‘Vakomana Vaviri veZimbabwe ‘ at the Oval Theatre, London, I was excited and feverish looking forward to a Zimbabwean interpretation of Shakespeare, even though I was intrigued by the choice. The play begins at a minibus rank somewhere in Zimbabwe. Read more
