Stories that are beautifully and
emotionally told. (Review by Philisiwe Sithole)
Allegations is part of the International flavour of the 8th Musho! Festival,
being one of the two Zimbabwean shows brought to Durban with the support of
Swiss funders. It is written by Mandisi Gobodi and directed by Patience
Tawengwa.
It speaks of a white farmer and a black
rural dweller. Allegations is a brave
attempt to examine Zimbabwe’s brutal past and present. On stage a huge cage
presenting different locations in and on top of which the actors play and
present their trapped situations. Two worlds so far apart but somewhere
connected in their attempt to discover the truth in their own situation, each
other’s and their countries.
The stage is aligned in semi-circle with
newspaper on the floor. There is a humongous truck wheel which symbolises
farming and centre stage is a metallic cage which symbolises a house and a
cage.
The characters throw a ball to each other
to motivate one another to continue with the truth. At the end they throw the
ball in the audience, including us in that process of finding the truth as
well. Allegations consists of two monologues
nicely woven and made physical in an attempt to escape the cage.
I could smell the fear of their stories
coming from a country so close to South Africa and close to our current
history. Theatre that has to be seen and stories that have to be told and this
theatre is beautifully and emotionally told.
For more details about the Musho! Festival,
visit www.mushofestival.co.za - Philisiwe Sithole
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