Mudzvova debuts on German stage
King of Mutapa is one of the controversial satires from the United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean playwright.
It is a pre-colonial satire about how African kings ruled with an iron fist.
It takes a dig at modern-day dictators using traditional costumes and music.
“The play premieres on November 13 and it is expected to last three years. Therefore, I will be touring and attending theatre festivals mostly in Europe and other states,” said Mudzvova.
“So after the Germany performance, I will tour Belgium and The Netherlands as the play has already been booked there. King of Mutapa is a one-man show though I will invite a musician Bjorn Norrgat on stage here and there for some live music.”
Meanwhile, Mudzvova — who is currently sharpening his theatrical skills in the UK courtesy of University of Manchester’s Artist Protection Fund Fellowship programme — won an international award inform of 2017 Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent by Human Rights Foundation.
The Havel Prize Committee described Mudzvova as a brave person who has the guts to speak truth to power.
“Silvanos Mudzvova’s persistence in using art and performance to challenge dictatorship is an inspiration. The persecution of Silvanos illustrates Robert Mugabe’s cruelty, intolerance, and cowardice,” said Havel Prize Committee chairperson Thor Halvorssen then.
Mudzvova is known for his controversial plays such as Missing Diamonds: I Want My Share and Final Push, a play that talks of a chairperson of a certain building called Liberty House (a thinly-disguised ex-president Robert Mugabe) and his political challenger (presumed to be opposition leader, the late Morgan Tsvangirai) trapped together in an elevator during a power failure.
He also directed Protest Revolutionaries, a play that encourages Zimbabweans to plan their own Arab Spring among other plays.
The internationally-acclaimed actor was arrested by police a couple of years ago in Harare when he wanted to march to Parliament Building to demand that MPs and other elected officials should declare their assets before taking office.
In 2011, Mudzvova was among the Rituals Outreach team arrested and detained in Manicaland.
Mudzvova has been detained and arrested several times in Harare owing to his controversial plays. Daily News.
