Organisers of Easter Theatre Festival on Tuesday announced that the event will this year run at two venues– Allience Francaise de Blantyre and M-Cinema.
Led by Solomonic Peacocks, the sixth edition of the festival will be held from April 25 to 27.
Festival Coordinator and Solomonic Peacocks Director McArthur Matukuta said they were set for the festival, with local and international acts set to perform.
“Alliance Francaise de Blantyre has always been our venue and, so, we are still there this year and, then, we will be having M-Cinema for the Comedy Delight Show,” Matukuta, who is also an actor and playwright, said.
The former National Theatre Association of Malawi leader said they had eight international acts who would be performing this year.
“We have eight international and 10 local drama groups. It will be a full course for theatre lovers and art in general. We have two local comedians, five local poets and five dances,” he said.
Recently, Easter Theatre Festival organisers also revealed that comedians Mr Jokes and Ching’aning’ani, real names Andrea Thonyiwa and Tame Muwawa, are the faces of the festival this year.
Other local acts set to perform this year include Kwathu Drama Group, Nzeka Arts, YDC Theatre, Young Travellers, Upile Drama Group, Emancipation Theatrical Ensemble, Women in Theatre and Arts Sustainability Lab.
Meanwhile, South African stand-up comedian, actor Kedibone Mulaudzi, has said he is looking forward to giving comedy lovers a treat at the festival.
With 20 years of comedy experience, Mulaudzi described comedy as an exciting discipline that has to be embraced.
“In South Africa, comedy is huge and I know Malawi is getting there.
“I am looking forward to entertaining, sharing my stories, networking and learning. I know there are the Mulaudzis in Malawi and I hope to meet them,” he said.
This will be the first time Kedibone will be starring in Malawi, having also had international performances in South Korea, the United Kingdom, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya, Lesotho and eSwatini, among others.
The theme for this year’s festival is ‘Celebrate Culture through Theatre’ through a project titled ‘Enhancing Sustainable Theatre Development’ supported by Copyright Society of Malawi through the Copyright Fund and other partners.
