Motlhala comes to Maitisong

Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Friday April 6, 2018 13:55

Motlhala is written and directed by Neo Kebiditswe, and was recognised amongst Africa’s formidable female playwrights of 2017/2018.

In an interview with Arts and Culture, Kebiditswe said Motlhala currently was in Africa’s Top 10 and has been selected as the official text for a dramatic reading at the Women Playwrights International Conference in Chile, from October 7 to 12 this year. “Motlhala is parallel to the festival’s theme of ‘lore lo ojwa lo sale metsi’, as it consists of professional young actors and crew working under the guidance of myself and my co-producer, Kealeboga Mosekiemang. It is an original African story that explores tradition, love and tragedy,” she explained.

The play starts in the village of Maru-Maru, located in the outskirts of Zimbabwe, where the norm is compromised.

In the production, the main characters namely Tendai and Mujuru, had no coming back from the sacrilege, thus initiating a path of the unknown for Tendai and the quest for greener pastures often yields more setbacks than breakthroughs.

Tendai found himself confronted with bad luck, unsuccessful relationships and danger. The once heir to the Maru-Maru throne then lived in mediocrity, and ended up resembling a beggar. He somehow managed to get by. Unbeknown to him, his ancestral connection to Mwari, the God of Maru-Maru, has remained active throughout his life, Kebiditswe says.

“In fact, when Tendai was banished from Maru-Maru, Mwari’s spirit left with him, and Mwari ultimately helped Tendai’s move to Botswana. But, the grass was not always greener on the other side, as Tendai lived as an illegal immigrant and became a suspect in a policeman’s murder in Botswana.”

“Motlhala will be captured through Shona, Setswana and English.

It will indulge the audience with a plot that consists of African dialogue, storytelling and music. It is intended to set the mark of success, quality and professionalism. The vision is for Motlhala to tour the nation after the festival, in a bid for many Batswana to indulge in it before departing for Chile,” she explained.

Cherryapple is a theatre and film events company that is owned by both Kebiditswe and Mosekiemang. It is committed to creating, managing and producing excellent theatre and film projects for all audiences, which incorporate cultural diversity, and explores relevant issues of our modern society.

Tickets for the show are sold at P100 per person and P50 for students. The show also offers a discount of 10% for 10 tickets. Furthermore, it has an age restriction of 13. Tickets can be purchased at the Maitisong office.