Shakespeare celebrations in Zimbabwe are alive and kicking. On Saturday, June 25, the British council hosted an event under the theme ‘Mix the Play’. From 2pm to 5pm attendees were treated to an afternoon of comedy and poetry facilitated by the ever-goofy Doc Vikela.
The audience was invited to take 2 minutes to mix a scene of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ on an online application which allowed for 108 possibilities. You have the option of choosing the actors, delivery, music and costumes. Members of the audience showed their pieces and explained their choices.
The comic pastor was there in full force with funny as well as borderline inappropriate jokes depending on one’s sense of humour. For example, in his act as a prophetic pastor, he ‘prophesied’ that a particular girl in the audience was wearing white knickers. He had the crowd in stitches.
Winky D finally has an “aburacadabura, disappear” scene as Russel the Magician wowed the audience with card tricks, making things disappear and reappear through teleporting, and reading the eyes of the ladies in the crowd. He is a fun flirt of a magician and a treat to watch.
Umind wowed with her poem ‘Kingdom Bank’, not the bank of Nigel Chanakira, but the bank in which one invests with Jesus Christ and God. Her poem was both clever and delivered with passion and control.
Mosert the poet treated us to a Shona poem celebrating the language and local roots with not one English word interjecting, it was lyrical bliss. Doc Vikela commented that he expected at least one English word to pop through, but Mosert showed his mastery of both English and Shona, and his poetic prowess.
Elton Mjanana, filmmaker and producer at 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ PHOTO: British Council
Extra-blessing of British council explaining how Mix it up works PHOTO: British Council
Batsirai E. Chigama caught in the audience. PHOTO: British Council
Ameera Murad Ameer enjoying the show PHOTO: British Council
Doc Vikela facilitating the event PHOTO: British CouncilTinashe Tarirenyika, after some witty repartee about a meeting in Bulawayo with Doc Vikela, performed a poem dubbing herself a “modern-day Shakespeare”. She gave a confident delivery and had the crowd’s attention during each stanza.
Madzitateguru was phenomenal with his piercing analysis of what poetry is. His piece spoke of the hypocrisy of academia insisting on grading poetry with an absurd emphasis on literary devices such as a “metaphor” and he aptly addressed that by chiding in rhyme “but what does that matter for?” The poet was witty because it used the same literary devices he climed were abused by academia to decry snobbery in poetry. A poet feels poetry, as opposed to intellectualising it into figures of speech.
It was a pleasurable afternoon which showed that the talent within Zimbabwe is astounding. The British Council gave these performers the opportunity to shine, as well as eat drink and be merry while watching short Shakespeare adaptations and interpretations from across the globe. To get involved and mix your own play, visit:
https://mixtheplay.britishcouncil.org/
