Nanzikambe to hold over 25 shows in Germany

After impressing their Malawian audience with And the crocodiles are hungry at night and The President’s Prerogative, Nanzikambe Arts are off to Germany where they are expected to hold over 25 shows.

And the crocodiles are hungry at night is poet Jack Mapanje’s memoir which was adapted for the stage by Kate Stafford while The President’s Prerogative was written by Smith Likongwe.

Nanzikambe Arts left on Monday for Germany where they are also expected to collaborate with Theatre Konstanz on a play, The Aid Machinery.

The play is also expected to be staged in Malawi in July.

“We are excited that we will be touring Germany with The Aid Machinery. This play will have 19 shows and then we will also stage two shows of Tales of a Migrant and about six shows for The Story of a Tiger,” said Misheck Mzumara before departure.

The Story of a Tiger, a monodrama featuring Geoffrey Mbene, is a fictitious story dramatizing Malawi’s social political events including the July 20 demonstrations.

The play, which was written by Italian playwright Dario Fo and adapted for Malawi by Thoko Kapiri, was commissioned by Theatre Konstanz.

Kapiri and Mzumara are also the figures in the play Tales of a Migrant which the former wrote while studying at Wits University in South Africa.

The play centres on a poor man who leaves Malawi for South Africa in search of greener pastures.

Theatre Konstanz’s Thomas Spieckermann recently spoke of their excitement to work with Nanzikambe and that the partnership was reaping fruits.

“We are happy to work together on this play which will also be staged here [in Malawi] after Germany. This is good for the growth of theatre for the two countries,” he said.

Some of the actors who have made the trip include Mbene, Jeremiah Mwaungulu, Noah Bulambo, Otuli Masanza and Dipo Katimba. The group is expected back on July 9.