By Kundai Marunya
Following an explosive show at the Harare International Festival of the Arts in May, Water Games will make its debut performance in Masvingo at the fifth annual Youth Cultural Arts Festival (Yocaf).
The play which is an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People by the award-winning local playwright, Christopher Mlalazi features a star-studded cast of locals under the direction of German director, Jens Vilela Neumann.
The cast includes popular standup comedian a versatile theatre, film and television actor, a multi-talented artist who has successfully built a brand for herself as a musician, actress, radio and TV hostess, KudzaiSevenzo and the Nama award nominee for Best Actor in 2014, Tichaona Mutore. Talented keyboard player Cornelius Muponda adds to the flavor with some exciting live music.
Yocaf director Leeroy Gono said, ‘The main thrust for the festival is to promote creative expression. The play raises social pertinent issues which need to be expressed and addressed. Water Games resonates with our theme for this year, I Will Act Now and I believe a lot of people will enjoy this exciting play.’
Water Games is an interrogation of the perennial drinking water challenges plaguing most communities on the continent. It is not only the dirty water coming from the taps, beyond is another world where its ‘dog eat dog.’ The comical tone of the play combined with live music and video projections is bound to leave revelers in stitches.
YOCAF is a youth initiative aimed at promoting culture and enhancing the development of communities through objective use of Arts and Culture by nurturing professionalism in the youth. It creates the opportunity for the youth to develop skills and to utilize those skills to contribute to their communities, which in turn, increase their ability to succeed. The young people get to share ideas, network, and express themselves through their various arts disciplines.
This year the festival is slated for July 30 to August 1 in Masvingo.