The sixth edition of the three-day Easter Theatre Festival ended on a high note on Sunday at Alliance Francaise de Blantyre with drama, served by different groups, closing the curtain. Running under the theme ‘Celebrate Culture through Theatre’, the festival organisers quickly announced the dates for the seventh edition to be held from March 27 to 29 2026.
Having experienced poetry and comedy on the first day, the last day started with a workshop before performances from among others Dikamawoko Arts. Other acts that starred on the last day included Upile Drama Group, Solomonic Peacocks which spearheads the festival and YDC.
Festival Coordinator McArthur Matukuta, whois also Solomonic Peacocks Director, described the 2025 edition as a success and that they are looking forward to next year’s festival.
“In this economy, it is not easy to sustain a festival but we keep moving and we are thankful to all the players that have supported us including Copyright Society of Malawi through Copyright Fund. Theatre lovers continue to embrace the festival,” Matukuta said.
He also hailed drama groups saying they kept up to the standards by staging mature productions. “All the groups that performed understood the assignment. Festivals are supposed to serve people with the best performances and we saw it this year.
“We will also continue to offer a platform to students in both primary and secondary to showcase talents in drama, poetry and dance for they are the foundation,” Matukuta said.
Actor and playwright Fumbani Phiri, whose group YDC staged a production titled Djembe, said participating at Easter Theatre Festival this year was for them an inspiring and rewarding experience.
“The festival created a dynamic platform for theatre artists to not only showcase their work but also to engage with diverse audiences and fellow creatives,” Phiri said.
He further said the festival reaffirmed the power of theatre to spark conversation, build connections and celebrate cultural identity.
“Staging Djembe at the festival allowed us to bring forward narratives deeply rooted in tradition and community, while also experimenting with new performance approaches. Overall, the festival was a refreshing space of artistic exchange, growth and celebration of theatre’s role in society,” Phiri said.
