Performance in the Local Village, Zambezia, Mozambique

A delay in writing means I haven't posted further pictures and stories of the Mozambique trip in October.  Here are some in retrospect.

About to start

I was in my Othello costume with the other members of the cast in the late afternoon sunlight surrounded by 300 villagers of the tiny remote village of Serefina with it's traditional wattle & daub huts and roads of sand in rural Mozambique. We had come down to the village to try and film our show, The Gospel of Othello as we haven't got it properly taped. Since our version of Shakespeare's story takes place during a tribal assembly it was amazing to be in a setting that resembled the scenario almost exactly.

The Gospel of Othello opening in a perfect setting

Our stay happened to coincide with a visit by National Geographic photographer Marcus Westberg who has kindly let me reproduce the photos he took of the show and audience here.  www.lifethroughalens.org for more of his work.

Patrice making the most of the light as the sun sank low

Waiting to start I had another moment of 'how exactly did I come to be here?'  I get this every so often, usually as I find myself in another brilliantly random scenario where you could never pin down an exact 'career choice' or strategy which led me to be there.  Don't get me wrong - no soul-searching or lack of clear 'career' means I don't feel extremely lucky to be doing what I'm doing.  If you try to classify the last 5 years from a career perspective, I guess it's roughly termed 'freelance.'  And that's putting it kindly.  One occupational hazard is lacking a well-defined job description which can sometimes make hard to measure success or if you're on (or at least near the) the right track!) at a given moment.

Standing there in the randomness of that moment, I had such a profound sense of everything being so 'right' as if this is what I was created for!  Such moments of alignment and clarity amid a generally out-the-box existance are even more precious and golden.  

Musical director & keyboard set-up

As a company we were interested to see what affect the language barrier would have (assuming fairly large) but because our narrative is very physical and there's much non-verbal dialogue as a way of expressing the tale. Led by our director, we have worked a lot on physicalities. We were intrigued to see how much of our story would translate if not via the threads of Elizabethan English that also run through the piece. In our our text we also have Ndebele, Shona, and English plus music and songs from those, as well as other West African languages.

As performers it was a challenge to see if we could hold the audience (there were about 400 people of all ages) gathered. It was a great atmosphere and required fresh and dynamic acting and storytelling.  It's truly interactive. 

Audience

It's sharing of theatre and story, it's human connection, it's entering into the spirit of generosity and giving and receiving.  I love it.  For me it's the best feeling ever. Afterwards we realised that, 45 km through the coconut plantations from the next town, it was likely that we were the first theatre company ever to have performed there. What a privilege.

Despite language barriers the audience kept growing

Groups assembling to share and tell a story is exactly what I'm about. Coming together despite the language barrier and numerous other factors to participate in a creative experience.

To the sponsors who have backed this and continue to see the value and merit of what we're about and what we do, a huge thank you.

Othello at HIFA

Here's the entry about our show: The Gospel of Othello from the Harare International Festival of Arts website.


The Gospel of Othello


Just arrived back in Bulawayo from HIFA...more from me about the show soon!

So, here's an idea...

It really feels like a new season has just started. Not only does the temperature drop overnight meaning chilly mornings and evenings, but also in a non-literal way. I'm recovered from Tick Bite fever, which took me down for a few days, followed by a week of taking it easy while I ran the course of antibiotics. I've also turned a new year of being me (got really spoilt on my birthday which was lovely!) And all in all there's an air of getting back into the swing of things and wanting to make the time from now until the end of July, when I leave for a trip to the UK, really count. It's great to feel refreshed and up for it!

Oria and I were chatting about this on Monday as we met to plan and pray. It was great to do the latter, pressing in for ideas. All along this has felt like a voyage of discovery and adventure. Prayer has been central to that. I then headed to my meeting at the theatre (which I also think is the start of something) and then today Oz and I went to the theatre and one other place, to look around and brainstorm in situ together. It was a really great time of dreaming up possibilities and talking ideas.

I wrote on Monday about the Fringe theatre idea and while standing in the huge workshop/warehouse/rehearsal room at the back of the theatre we talked about that. I love this space because it has such character and when I'd had the idea for this fringe event, thought of using it as the performance space, creating a stage area within it. So we started thinking along these lines and I reckon the potential for something cool is huge. We want a cafe/bar vibe, and a playing area where there is less distance between performers & spectators as I know the main theatre auditorium can be intimidating. This will be less formal and therefore I hope conducive to a creative and dynamic vibe.

We began talking logistics and what it would take to pull it together. I now need to write up our ideas but I'm excited about the different elements we can fuse together under the banner, The Green Room which is what I want to call this event. There are ideas that I've had in mind for some time - minimal scenery and props, strong physical theatre elements, a cross-section of people and ideas, a forum for discussion and debate...as well as other funky ideas, such as Oria's idea of projecting films and pieces of inspiring theatre on one of the walls...

Another thing we decided was that we want this to be well thought out and good. Therefore we're looking at launching in October of this year, which gives time to lay good foundations and get people on board. If The Lounge is the second Friday of each month, then is makes sense for The Green Room to be on the 4th Friday so likely launch date is 23 October - watch this space!

The Bulawayo Theatre

Am excited. At last it seems the timing is ripe and ready for something I've thought about for some time and hoped to get off the ground. Things at last seem to be coming into focus and taking shape. Ever since I first walked into the Bulawayo Theatre, I've felt there is a huge amount of potential wrapped in the place - I just haven't known exactly how to set about tapping it and developing it. Suddenly, the timing seems good for taking things further... To give some background, the Bulawayo theatre is an 320 seat theatre with a very big stage in proportion to that. Apparently, the stage is about the same as at The Old Vic or the Wyndhams Theatre in London.

Anyway I was at a meeting there today, just the two staff members responsible for running it and me, to talk about the state of the theatre and what is/isn't happening there. It became obvious that with almost no manpower, not much that's interesting or exciting is coming out of the place and the door is wide open for me to be involved in doing just about anything I want really. Not many places where you get that handed to you on a plate...Amazing hey! But in addition, suddenly the timing seems right for taking that challenge. So, watch this space for new developments and ideas. So far, I am thinking of running something similar to The Lounge, but whereas The Lounge is more about music, poetry, hip hop & spoken word, this would be for finding and supporting theatrical talent - writers, actors, directors etc. I'm also starting by challenging people that I know from all my networking, to come up with some new scripts (in particular one-act plays) and then I'll work towards pulling together some productions of the new work. I was chatting over a beer with a friend the other week and we came up with the need for somehow generating something of a theatre fringe in Bulawayo. I'm keeping my eyes open for a good space to make into a performance space and this is with a view to then holding theatre & performance events that are more of a fringe feel. The intention is for lots of room for experimentation and new collaborations. In particular there is a need for new examples of collaborations where people work together from across divides of gender, skin colour and age. These things are real issues here and I intend to continue tackling them head-on because we can do better than this and I want to see reconciliation and partnerships where there is a history of disunity or disinterest. I know theatre (and the arts in general) can (and does!) bring that about. The great thing about developing a fringe is that performances don't have to immediately be on the scale of a fully-fledged production for the main stage at the theatre and it can be more

experimental.

I was in a play at the theatre myself a year ago and somehow I think that I'm not going to escape from needing to be adaptable and flexible too - I've never directed or particularly wished to...but I may find myself in the role of producer, director, actor all at once in the coming months! And believe me, it'll be nothing to do with wanting all the glory for myself!

Bambata Young People’s Community Actor’s Centre - 2nd Visit

On the last day of February I had my second visit to Bambata and helped Styx with the Saturday morning teaching programme. After starting with games, the guys continued work they were doing towards an upcoming event, which was based around the theme of women. So they were devising pieces that looked at issues facing women in Zimbabwe.

I liked their work and being a part of the creative process of it.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to be around a few days later when the group performed at the festival, but I hear it went very well and the pieces were great and raised the issues well.

I'm fairly sure that also marked the first time these guys had performed together and for some it was probably the first time they'd performed ever.

Styx said he was very pleased with the final outcome. This is him in director mode...

Issues-based theatre is definitely something I want to do more of here, so I like being a part of the devising process and am out to learn all I can about what works well and how to set about initiating the process and fostering a constructive atmosphere.

We were again holding rehearsals in a disused Catholic church outside the community.

This was the only chair in the whole place

I grew quite fond of that chair over the course of the session... I find it strangely symbolic somehow!

Busy Day

One of those days where I can't believe how much has happened since I got out of bed, 1 day just seems too short a time!

I'm excited by some of the things that are potentials in the pipeline...will confirm once anything's definite, but in discussions about some guys from here (from Siyaya) taking part in a European festival in a few months time, which would be very cool if it were to work out, and is giving me plenty to think about & schemes and ideas to entertain...

Also today, I attended a meeting someone suggested might be relevant to me and my interests. With that in mind I'd practically invited myself to it and was very graciously welcomed despite that! It did turn out to be right up my street. It was the first boardmeeting of Bambata, an education project, focussed on theatreand set up by Styx Mhlanga and his company, Studio X, to run in his home community 15 mins from Bulawayo City Centre in a more rural area that amongst others things, is without electricity. Styx oversees it, together with Rachel, also from the community, and who recently graduated in Theatre Arts at the University of Zimbabwe. She hasn't yet received her degree certificate (she's been given reasons such as no ink, no paper, staff strikes....you name it) The project sounds great - 2 months of classes on each if the areas of mime, improvisation, movement and now they are just beginning 2 months on text and audition skills.

Fab to take part in detailed discussions of the role of theatre in Zimbabwe and how to take it forward in dynamic and vibrant ways to effect a change and build towards something tangible for the future and for these young people. The project makes a lot of use of visiting teachers - they invite specialists in various areas to take sessions and believe it or not I'm the person leading tomorrows classes! I'm chuffed as I know it's my first real step towards my goal of being involved in seeing theatre and performance (and the skills developed through them) making a tangible, practical difference here but I must admit right now I also feel totally unprepared and inexperienced in teaching drama and acting. I don't think I've ever done it before and so this will be my first time. In the back of my mind I have known that it would be a bridge to cross, but I didn't think I've have such short notice or my offer would be remembered!! Incidentally, a few actors and other people who work in the arts outside of Zimbabwe have expressed interest in my work and to let them know if there would ever be a way to get involved...I think this would be one very obvious way...to share your knowledge, experiences and ideas with this group! Let me know if you fancy doing that! I've no idea how it will go tomorrow, but I'll be sure to put it into words on here once I do know!

Tomorrow is going to be hectic in another way too. When I got home late this evening I had messages from friends in South Africa, Paul and Cathy Middleton. I've known them since I was 18 and living in Lesotho! Paul's a pilot, Cathy a nurse and they work for an outfit called Mercy Air and were calling to say they are likely to be doing a medical evacuation (Medivac) tomorrow from Bulawayo to Cape Town and any chance of a bed tomorrow night. Now of course I feel sorry for the dude in pain, but I'm also delighted at the thought of possibly seeing the Middletons again (we've kept in touch & I've been to stay at Mercy Air twice now) and helping out with lifts from the airport and anything else I can do. Plus I've got a shopping list in, so there's the prospect of supplies by airmail delivery :-)

Tesco direct, Sainsburys-to-you & Ocado 'ain't got NOTHING on that for service!