Dining with Diamonds debuts in Gaborone
Lucy Kgweetsi | Wednesday July 16, 2025 06:39
Dining with Diamonds, a black-tie dinner theatre experience, brought together an unlikely blend of luxury dining, live musical performance, and cultural ambition under one roof and left audiences with more than just full stomachs.
Created by Hollywood actor and producer, Denim Richards in collaboration with Brand Botswana, the production told the story of Tiana Belle, a fictional village girl grappling with love and personal ambition. Performed by a cast of mostly recent University of Botswana graduates, the show featured a 10-piece orchestra and was interwoven with a five-course meal served in real time between scenes. But the event wasn’t just about performance. According to Richards, it is the first step in a much broader plan. “This isn’t just about theatre,” he said in an interview after the show. “This is about building something that lasts, a creative ecosystem that can train, employ, and showcase Botswana’s incredible talent.”
Richards, who is best known for his role in the US drama Yellowstone, has been working with young Batswana performers since leading a masterclass at the University of Botswana. He said the idea for Dining with Diamonds came from a realisation that the country lacks structured opportunities for artists to develop professionally.
His long-term goal is to establish a creative arts conservatory in Botswana, where local talent can receive intensive training in acting, singing, and dance from international professionals. Friday’s show, he said, was a “proof of concept” and one that already employed over 35 local artists, technicians, and production staff. “We’re not doing this for charity,” Richards added. “Everyone involved is being paid. That’s the standard we want to set that creative work is professional work.”
The event also drew a number of high-profile attendees, including representatives from the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship, and Brand Botswana. BITC CEO Keletsositse Olebile, who attended with his board chair and team, said the production aligned with the Centre’s growing interest in supporting the creative sector. “This is exactly the kind of platform we need,” Olebile said.
“It’s high-quality, it showcases local talent, and it has the potential to grow into a real economic contributor, especially for the youth.” Other guests included executives from Air Botswana, Bank Gaborone, and KGK Diamonds, whose jewellery was showcased during the performance. Richards noted that 95 percent of the performers were UB graduates, including singers Sebaga Thipe and Tshegofatso Kgomotso, who were among the standout voices of the night. Plans are already underway to take the show beyond Gaborone, with future performances being considered for Maun, Kasane, and other tourist destinations. “We want to link culture and tourism in a new way,” said Richards. “Game drives are great, but what if you could follow them with a world-class performance under the stars?” Whether Dining with Diamonds will be remembered as a one-off event or the start of a new creative chapter for Botswana remains to be seen. But if Friday night was anything to go by, the country’s young artists are more than ready to shine.