Theatre has always been a brilliant tool that practitioners have used to entertain and inform people about issues within various societies. Augusto Boal went one step further and created a theatre “for the poor and by the poor”, a theatre which transformed the audience into what he called spectactors, and a theatre that could be used as a tool to encourage individuals to make social changes. Due to the success of such theatre, it is no surprise that theatre groups from all over the world, especially Africa, are now choosing to adopt Boal’s extraordinary theatrical style and inject it with the heat and exoticism of story telling, music and dance.
Self confessed Boal fan Peter Mutanda, director, actor and writer of the new theatre group Theatre Under Fire takes influence from Boal by creating plays that can be viewed as a ‘tool to give awareness about the life that we [the actors] have gone through, and about asylum seekers living in Britain’.
TUF began in August 2006 with their first official show, Cry My Zimbabwe being created through insightful workshops which were used as a platform for many of the actors to express themselves.
The company comprises of Peter Mutanda, Kabelo Madonko, Edwin Mathe and Dinilizwe Ncube and despite the group having only been around for a year, their flair and highly energised performances have made them a well known name within the greater London theatres.
Cry My Zimbabwe dramatises the atrocities of President Mugabe’s horrific regime in Zimbabwe. This regime was not only brutal but life threatening and caused many Zimbabweans who dared to speak out against the authorities to seek political refuge in Britain. The piece presents a heartfelt portrayal of life as an asylum seeker in Britain – someone who is often viewed as being here simply to abuse the system. Instead the characters on stage emphasise that ‘we are not here to be British people we are just here searching for sanctuary and a place where we can live free and new lives. We just want to be treated with respect and our theatre attempts to change peoples mentalities’.
The play was performed at the small yet cosy Warehouse Theatre which is tucked away in buzzing East Croydon. Beginning with a one man speech, the audience is instantly drawn into the pain and complexity spread across the actor’s face. As the seriousness of the scene intensifies the mood is quickly disrupted by the loud introduction of African drumming which symbolises the play’s transportation to a chaotic Zimbabwe.
The minimalist performance space, with only the bare essentials, makes Cry My Zimbabwe an interactive show that dares to break the wall between the actors and audience. This gives the actors a platform to express some of the pressing issues and traumas within them that have been caused by Zimbabwe’s political dramas and Britain’s asylum system.
The interactive style of the piece encourages the audience to ‘get involved and feel the same things that we are going through’, say the actors. Comparing the show to hot chilli chicken, as humorously put by the company’s director Peter Mutanda, the show is indeed hot and spicy yet tantalising and enjoyable. The African music breaks up the seriousness of the piece, whilst also working as a tool to emphasise the beauty of African culture, reminding the audience of the actors’ pride in their home land, Zimbabwe.
Theatre such as this is a breath of fresh air – particularly the ‘in your face approach’ used in presenting the issues of asylum seekers. The piece brings to light the shocking truths about the detention centres that many immigrants face once they arrive in Britain, the psychological scaring brought on from their past and the shameful lack of help that the individuals receive once here.
Theatre such as this is wonderful because the actors are ‘the writers of their story’ and so present a realistic portrayal. This will not only educate the audience but will also destroy urban myths that overshadow the reality of the lives of other ethnicities living in Britain.
So Boal’s aim for theatre to be used as a tool that educates is fulfilled. As an audience member, the reality of the piece makes it very difficult to walk out of the theatre feeling the same way that you did when you came in. This is what theatre should be about: a chance for real emotion to be placed in one’s face, allowing audience members to realise that they can make a difference.
The combination of African music and forum theatre created a show that was intriguing and new. One could even go so far as to say that with the rise of more African theatre groups a new genre is being established.
For now, new fans of TUF’s unique performance style can wait with anticipation for the company’s next performance Twilight Rainbow which will be filled with music and dance involving instruments from Africa. Or the group’s follow-up piece to Cry My Zimbabwe which shows the much loved characters out of the detention centres, living amongst the community in peace and harmony – so we hope.
Visit tufproductions.com for more details.
