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Raisedon Baya

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
A new theatre production “Addicted”, aimed at raising awareness on the dangers African women face due to societal pressures, is expected to premiere at the Bulawayo Theatre on March 25.

As part of the ongoing ‘Bring a friend to Theatre’ campaign, the play – an imaginative mixture of physical theatre, poetry, storytelling and multimedia – will be shown again on March 27.

Addicted features talents of Lady Tshawe, Musa Sibanda and Charmaine Mudau as the main characters.

The play is centred on three women who have different addictions. The one thing they have in common is the urge to enhance their beauty, which fast becomes an addiction that leads them to make errors of judgement.

Bubbles (Sibanda), is addicted to shoes and make-up while Rosemary (Mudau) is addicted to artificial hair. Linda (Lady Tshawe) abuses skin lightening creams.

Playwright, Raisedon Baya, said he wanted people to know how something that is meant to be good for them could become hazardous if one gets addicted to it.

“What people don’t know according to research is that makeup, cosmetics and hair are four times as physically addictive as some drugs.

Yet, women are psychologically dependent on very expensive and unhealthy products because of social pressures”

Addicted was first conceptualised by Rudo Mutangadura and reworked into a full length play by Baya. Memory Kumbota brings his unique directing skills and physical theatre into this piece as well.