By Refilwe Mphirime
The dance musical, Mwana Wa Mula, produced by Amandla Dance Teatro ZA, ran from 18 to 20 March 2021 at the Northern Cape Theatre in Kimberley.
The founder of Amandla Dance Teatro ZA, choreographer and co-composer, Bisi Bangiwe Ka Jobela explained that the title is derived from a Malawian language Chichewa meaning “Rain Child,” the musical is based on a real life story of a young, male rainmaker named Lerumo, whose spiritual gift clashes with his father’s Christian belief.
It depicts the young man’s life as he encounters situations and circumstances that test his “societal fed metric.” According to ka Jobela, the play resonates with problems that are happening in our households and confirms that Christianity and Spiritually coexist, and thus make it difficult to comprehend the fight against each other.
Lerumo struggles to find balance in an extreme tug-of-war. “He later starts to understand his power and communication with water. When he begins to be one with water, his journey and path are clear. We eventually watch him choose his path,” narrated ka Jobela.
It took 22 cast members consisting of actors, dancers, singers and musicians to execute the well and creatively written scrip. The vibrant and energetic cast did not allow the pandemic to dampen their spirit. The production was supposed to be staged during 2020, however later in the year, they were often invited to perform snippet at corporate events, this helped to keep the crew in high spirit. “The objective is to encourage people to speak up when they are ill-treated regardless of who it is and gender-based violence remains an issue in our country,” added ka Jobela.
An enthusiastic member of the audience said, “This was worth my time. I enjoyed it so much even though I was a bit lost here and there. The cast is very talented and they should not give up on their craft despite the struggles they are facing right now.”
Ka Jobela concluded by saying, their mission is expose people to theatre hence entrance was free on the last day of the show. “People need hope in times like these; we need to understand that we are never alone,” he said.
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