The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Leisure Correspondent
PHENOMENAL play, ‘‘The Taking’’ is set to go on a national tour with the first show scheduled for Bulawayo Theatre on Friday.
The rerun will see the play showing in Bulawayo for the fourth time before heading to other cities that include Gweru, Mutare, Harare and Masvingo.
The play’s writer, Raisedon Baya said there had been a call for the play to make a return on the circuit because of the popularity of the drama.
He said while they had initially organised the Bulawayo rerun, Nhimbe Trust had come on board and assisted in ensuring the tour is national.
Baya said because of the quality of the production it would have been a travesty if it had only been shown just a few times.
“There is a feeling the play deserves more than one showing because of its popularity, while locally we seem to have plays just been run once we feel there is need to adopt the international tradition that sees such productions run for one month or more.
“The fact that we spend months rehearsing and then just have the play shown once is a travesty. Having it run longer will allow the producers to make returns and for us this is a start we believe we should adopt in the future,” he said.
Baya cited Zambezi Express as one local production that had managed to stage a longer run in local theatres, with success.
The Taking has previously been shown at the Hifa, Paifa and has had three runs in Bulawayo.
The production is a deft piece of theatre that combines elements of song, dance, mime and storytelling featuring experienced players such as Zenzo Nyathi, Gift Chakuvinga, Elton Sibanda, Aleck Zulu and Musa Sibanda. It is directed by Memory Kumbota.
The Taking is a thought-provoking play about land, history and the place of folklores.
“Theatre is an institution that deals with memory. With The Taking the idea is to take our audiences back to the land reform years and make them remember.
“Theatre is a bank where we should keep our very important national narratives and then, once in a while, take them out for everyone to remember who we are and where we come from. The Taking is also universal in that it is about survival and identity,” Baya was quoted saying.
Using vivid imagery and clever storytelling the play questions the role and place of storytellers and their stories in present day Zimbabwe.
The Taking, according to the writers, takes no sides but seeks to remind us of where we come from and who we are as Zimbabweans.
In this new play a storyteller is arrested for performing folktales without a censorship or clearance certificate from relevant authorities.
During the same week a young farm labourer/maid is also arrested on suspicion of murdering the old white farmer who had adopted her while she was young. Their stories connect as the play gathers momentum.
Tickets are going for $3.
