Thyolo group debuts at Theatre in Mandala
There is no resting for theatre at Theatre in Mandala at Jacaranda Cultural Centre (JCC) in Blantyre as Saturday it hosts, for the first time, a group from Thyolo District known as Dramageeks with their play titled Save the Date.
The stage welcomes Dramageeks having hosted Dikamawoko Arts Theatre from Blantyre last Saturday with their music and dance play titled Jinkelinke.
Curator of Theatre in Mandala Tawonga Taddja Nkhonjera said Thursday they were excited to host a group from Thyolo.
“The previous editions have seen performances from Blantyre- based groups and so we are looking forward a performance from Thyolo,” Nkhonjera said.
According to Nkhonjera, who is also the brains behind Malawi Lens, a film screening platform, said Save the Date is a story of an imaginary sweet love.
“Dramageeks is a group of Thyolo youths who produce experimental theatre. I just want to call upon theatre lovers to come and be part of this experience. We encourage secondary school students to come and watch,” he said.
Nkhonjera said they were happy with the strides they have made so far since they started Theatre in Mandala and that groups have staged plays tackling various issues affecting society.
Meanwhile, JCC is launching Francophone Theatre in Mandala whereby two Francophone plays will be adapted by two collaborative troupes composed of actors and actresses from six different groups – Umunthu, YDC, Young Travellers, Scar of Life, Solomonic Peacocks and Dikamawoko Arts.
A press statement from JCC says the two plays are God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza and The Chairs by Eugene Lonesco.
The two plays will be performed in secondary schools in Blantyre and to the general public on October 29 and 30 2021 as part of Theatre in Mandala Series at JCC.
JCC Director Luc Deschamps confirmed the development, saying there were more projects they were working on.
He also said that they would be launching Festival des Contes en Francais (Festival of French Storytelling) where French Departments students of three universities – Mzuzu University, Domasi College of Education and Chancellor College will perform storytelling in French.
The final will take place in November, with the finals held at Domasi College of Education.
The theme for the festival is La Crise Sanitaire (The Health Crisis).
