In an exclusive interview with The Zimbabwean following the recent launch of his explosive new play, Ten Years From Now, Chifunyise said: “Corruption in those days will be difficult. The past way of doing things is no longer legitimate. There is a growing firmness by the people to speak out about misbehaviour and malpractices.”
The play opened at Theatre in the Park with a star cast of stage and screen veterans – Walter Muparutsa, Daves Guzha, Jason Mphepo and O'brien Mudyiwenyama.
Co-written with Raisedon Baya, the play makes effective use of simple humour but taps into the vast experience of the actors to make an impact.
“It's a new technique of theatre where conversation and ideas are presented as dreams,” Chifunyise said. “The idea was to be positive about Zimbabwe in 10 years time but not to ignore the current challenges.”
Chifunyise said the play was “a sign that we have freedom of expression. There is now a multiplicity of media, including theatre.”
Previously, a number of Chifunyise's hard-hitting plays have been banned and actors detained by the authorities, or have only been performed on the basis of court orders granting them freedom to stage sensitive works.
He said the emergence of more media voices would make it easier for people to expose corruption.
Guzha was brilliant as a silver-haired cabinet minister who starts every rally with nauseating jingles and slogans. He was also convincing dressed up as a woman, the wife of Magaisa, a new tycoon, who finds it troubling to balance his allegiance to the political party that made him rich, and the demands of non-partisan business.
Muparutsa, the party chairman, tries to bring Magaisa back into the fold, but typically Another scenario suggested by the play is that 10 years from now, Zimbabwe will have a female president, whose military husband is actually pulling the strings. While the president appears to consult the people, she has no power to make the necessary changes.
Post published in: Arts