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Langalakhe Mabena
After staging their epic play Bayethe Nkosi in various regions of the country, Umkhathi Theatre Works have once more proven to be theatrical darlings as the ensemble is nominated three times at this year’s National Arts Merit Awards (Nama).
The event will be held at the HICC, Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare on 25 February 2023.
On the Outstanding Actor category, Umkhathi’s Ismael Mavingi who was the main actor is nominated alongside Shaun Mundawarara starring as Cullingwall in The Play that goes Wrong and Musa Saruro starring as Charles in The Play That Goes Wrong.
For Outstanding Theatrical Production Bayethe Nkosi is nominated with Heartbreak Mafia by Reps Theatre and The Play That Goes Wrong by Reps Theatre.
Umkhathi director Matesu Dube who was responsible for Bayethe Nkosi is nominated for Outstanding Director, with AneUnhu Gwatidzo in Heartbreak Mafia and Sue Bolt in The Play that Goes Wrong.
On the nominations, Matesu Dube said: “The play got three nominations at the 21st edition of Namas and to us as Umkhathi it means we have done a decent job on the exciting historic play that resonates well with people of our country.
“It means that we have come a long way in maturity, dedication, collaborations and discipline in the works that we have done before, which have taken us to where we are today.
On my personal nomination for Outstanding Director, it always feels great to be nominated in Zimbabwe’s premier arts awards, it shows that with limited resources you can produce something that is exciting,” said Dube.
The concept of Bayethe came from Nkosikhona Ndlovu with the script written by celebrated teacher Thabani Hillary Moyo.
The set piece is centred around the last days of King Lobengula and the battles his impis fought with the white settlers in an effort to resist colonisation.
It is a re-imagination of the heroic historical events that King Lobengula and his impis got engaged in.
The play seeks to correct, preserve and promote Zimbabwe’s rich history and cultural heritage. The play corrects some of the misinformation surrounding Lobengula’s role in the colonisation of Zimbabwe and it will act as a historical record.
The theatrical production depicts Lobengula as a strategist who fought colonisation by white settlers and faced immense pressure from outside and inside his own state.
Bayethe Nkosi, which has a stellar fusion of charismatic stage stamina as well as dance and music, will pay tribute to some of the gallant sons and daughters of the Ndebele State who fought alongside Lobengula such as General Mtshana Khumalo.
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