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Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent
A ONE-PERSON play “Secret of the Siren” will premiere at the Hwange Little Theatre on Friday.

Secret of the Siren is directed by seasoned theatre practitioners, Nelson Mapako and Mildred Nkomo of Vulindlela Theatre Company in Hwange.

The 55-minute production will premiere at 5:30PM for invited guests while members of the public will have a chance to watch the play on Saturday at the same venue at 4:30PM.

Speaking from Hwange, Mapako said the play explores a life of secrets and the challenges that come with it.

“People have secrets that emanate from their origins, past, ethnicity, sexuality among tons and tons of secrets. Secret of the Siren is a play about a secret which some would term it a horrible secret.

“The dire consequence of the secret has been kept a secret until the day you get to hear the truth. The production is an adaptation of Mapako’s short story with a similar title,” said Mapako. Mapako said the storyline has been adapted from prose into a stage play.

“The production experiments on the fusion of narrative monologues and physical theatre, multi characterisation, shadow puppetry, use of visuals as well as other forms of multimedia.

“The production seeks to foster collaborations among artistes in Zimbabwe while also creating new markets and building new audiences amid the advent of the novel coronavirus pandemic,” said Mapako.

Mapako said the play will be dramatised at the Intwasa Arts Festival next week before it is taken to the rest of Zimbabwe.

“The tour will be in Bulawayo, Gweru, Kwekwe, Harare, Mutare and Masvingo. We would like to advise members of the public that due to Covid-19 set operating standards for the creative sector only vaccinated people will be allowed excess into the venue and also we will be only using fifty percent of the venue capacity so those we really want to watch the show should come early to avoid disappointment,” said Mapako.

The play is strictly for a mature audience only and is supported by an ANT Adaptation Fund grant from Pro Helvetia Johannesburg and financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

It has been made possible thanks to a production team that includes Michaeal Kanyika (technical assistant), Borniface Sidluli (stage assistant), Munyaradzi and Takudzwa Nhananga (visual art paintings). — @mthabisi_mthire