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Delicacy Ngulube (Fanta) and Sithandazile Dube (maDlamini) in the play Song of a Woman during the opening day of the Inxusa festival last year

Bongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
THIS year’s Inxusa Festival is a strictly theatre affair according to the director Cont Mhlanga with 12 plays set to be showcased over four days during the festivities.

The festival, to run from March 25 to 28, will be held at Amakhosi Cultural Centre and will focus mostly on the performing arts.

Mhlanga said the festival would draw students from the universities in the region who have plays that would feature during the festival.

He said during the festival they would also join the world in celebrating world Theatre day colloquium whose theme is “Puppetry and Performance”.

“We’ve students from universities in Zambia and Botswana who will showcase their plays. There is a call for papers for the World theatre day colloquium for people to present on the topic Puppetry and Performance. Puppetry is one of the disciplines of theatre that we’re exploring,” said Mhlanga.

He said he hoped that in the coming years disciplines such as comedy and clowning would be more developed and professional.

“In truth there is no clown in the city and the comedians for me are shallow. They think that comedy is cracking jokes that are pregnant with vulgar words. Comedy is an art and part of theatre. So we hope these festivals that are specific to their genre will help grow their industry and talent,” said Mhlanga.

“Although we might think clowns cannot be part of the theatre, but it’s a form of theatre which unfortunately has little or no performers of note in the city.”

He said this year there was no theme because he didn’t want to limit the creativity of artistes and directors.

“When you have them (themes), you narrow the creativity of directors. All we want is quality plays that have the highest form of professionalism with compelling stories that follow the aesthetics of theatre,” said Mhlanga.

The festival returned last year after a 15-year hiatus and was officially opened by the then deputy Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Cde Supa Mandiwanzira. Mhlanga challenged local businesses to support indigenous festivals.

At last year’s edition of the Inxusa Festival that ran under the theme “Merging Cultures”, a play Song of A Woman directed by Thembi Moyo and produced by Nonhlalo Dube, was showcased on the opening day.