Written by New Zealand-based playwright, Stanley Makuwe, the play was aimed at engaging various communities in interesting debates. It has a six-member cast of Zenzo Nyathi, Joyce Mpofu, Eunice Tava, Charles Matare, John Pfumojena and Gibson Sarari.
The founder of Rooftop Promotions, Daves Guzha, said the ban was an injustice in a nation with a massive rate of unemployment.
“For a country that has over 90 percent unemployment rate it just boggles the mind why anyone would want to deny people decent employment. The people who are stopping us have no direct link with us. The professionals have looked at the content, they are happy with it – so which leg is ZRP standing on? What makes it worse is that they have not even seen the show but they were quick to stop us from performing,” said Guzha.
The play, shortlisted on the 2005 BBC short story competition, was scheduled to be performed at Bindura Chipadze bus terminus. But it was stopped by the local police for being political – despite having been cleared by both the police and the Censorship Board.
“DISPOL Assistant Commissioner Chiwoko informed the tour manager, Annamore Ziweya that the play was too political and therefore the cast could not go ahead with the show. He also instructed the other two police stations Glendale and Chombira to revoke the clearance granted earlier,” said a spokesman for Rooftop.
The Coup looks at the failing economy, the demise of the industrial sector and the worsening of the health delivery system. It also focuses on the relationship between the coalition partners in the Government of National Unity.
The dead bodies tell of the suffering they have encountered in their double experience of both the world of the living and the dead. Despite some of them being already in their decomposing state, they manage to organize themselves to revolt against the repressive government led by a corrupt dictator. The bodies are led by the youthful corpse of a former teacher to stage a coup, killing the president in the process. The president’s top colleagues are not spared as the dead bodies want to achieve total emancipation. Old habits seem to die hard as the dead president’ soul tries to bribe itself into heaven during the same night albeit unsuccessfully.
The tour was scheduled to travel to Mberengwa, Zaka, Bikita, Buhera growth point, Murombedzi amongst others. In 2010 the cast of Rooftop’s play “Rituals” was arrested in Cashel Valley. A full trial followed and, in a landmark ruling for the theatre sector, the state lost the case.
Post published in: Entertainment