If you would like NOT to receive this e-mail (which is sent text only to keep it very small and easily downloadable) then also advise us at that address. Please pass this e-mail on to your family, friends and colleagues, so that everyone is better informed about what’s on. If you wish to have information included on this newsletter send the information in text-only format to aquarius@iwayafrica.co.zw – there is no charge as this is a free service and acts as an anti-clash diary.
Friday March 18 – Exhibition of miniatures and small art works. Wechi art gallery and framing centre, 167 Enterprise Road. From 4.30pm, with wine available. Featured are works by a wide range of Zimbabwean artists.
Friday March 18 – Quiz night at Wingate Golf Club. 7pm. Teams of up to 8 – $10 per person.  Proceeds to VAWZ animal welfare. $5 for fish and chips or chicken salad. More info from chryswynn@gmail.com.
Saturday March 19 – Harare’s Got Talent 10. The latest in this series of annual showcases for local talent – singers, dancers, comedians … any performance talent! 7pm, 167 Enterprise Road (new venue this year). Entry $5. This is a great platform for finding new talent, so all people who run clubs, bars, restaurants and shows of any kind are encouraged to come along and spot talent. Advance booking by calling 0772 881877or just come to the gate.
Saturday March 19 – NIAA Eisteddfod Final Concert. Harare International School Theatre, 6.30pm; Sunday March 20, NIAA Eisteddfod Junior Highlights Concert. Harare International School Theatre, 11am. Call NIAA on (04) 702989 or e-mail niaa@yoafrica.com.
Saturday March 19 – Maasdorp Market. Maasdorp Avenue, Belgravia, 9am to noon. Variety of items on sale, with something for everyone.
Now running until Thursday March 24 – The Musical World of Disney. A colourful show featuring music from Disney shows. Directed by Sue Bolt and Mario Ciampi, with musical direction by Meg Mackenzie and choreography by June Cloete. Reps Theatre. Booking open at The Spotlight. This is a show for all ages; a celebration of the music which made the Walt Disney movies as popular over 60 years ago as they are today. The show features a live band made up of Natalie Carroll, Sergio Fernandes, Adam Snape, Brennan Wyngard, Matt Greenwood and Meg Mackenzie, and they support a veritable ‘opera’ of local vocalists of all ages, including Faith Wyngard, Shaun Mundawarara, Marc and Stephane Thomas, Katelyn Mostert, Martin Bolt and Zane E Lucas. Songs range from the well-known When You Wish Upon A Star to the popular jazz of The Jungle Book, taking in the Disney princesses and heroes along the way. There’s also music from The Lion King, going right up to the moment with the hit song Let It Go from Frozen. A treat for the whole family.
Now running until Saturday March 19 – God Of Carnage. Theatre Upstairs at Reps. Directed by multiple-award-winning director Teri Grimmel and starring an award-winning cast. When some roughhousing between two 11-year-old boys named Benjamin and Henry erupts into real violence, Henry loses two teeth. Benjamin’s parents, Alan and Annette Raleigh (Musa Saruro and Chipo Chikara), meet with Henry’s parents, Veronica and Michael Novak (Erin Sticklen and Ryan Lawrence), to try to smooth things over. However, what starts as a polite meeting among adults descends into finger-pointing, tantrums and insults. Evening performances 7pm ($10 a ticket). Matinees on both Saturdays at 2.30pm ($5). Book at The Spotlight. Note: no under 18.
Now running until Thursday March 24 РFestival de la Francophonie. The programme for the festival is now available and can be collected from Alliance Fran̤aise, 328 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare. You can also download a soft copy of it from www.alliance.org.za
www.alliance.org.za/upload/harare/FRANCOPHONIE-Booklet-2016-email.pdf
Saturday March 19 and Sunday March 20 – Combined Phoenix and Harare Male Voice Choirs’ pre-South Africa tour concert. Loyola Hall, St George’s College. 3pm each day. Entry $10, pensioners $8. Tickets available from March 12 from any choir member, or from Autoworld, Chisipite (Judy 0712 631488) or  Veldemeer’s Belgian Chocolates, Arundel Village (Lorna Scholtz – Tel. (04) 301989). More info from Paul 0772 469110; Clive 0772 338067; Hilary 0772 245072 ; Pauline 0772 393278
Sunday March 20 – Flavoured-coffee tasting. 167 Enterprise Road, known as Theo’s House of Coffees. Between 10am and 12 noon, visitors can sample the range of exciting new flavoured coffees, complimentary with any breakfast ranging from $5 to $15. Best to book – call 0772 881877.
Sunday March 20 – Affordable Art Fair. Presented by the Art for Hope Project at Belgravia Sports Club, Belgravia. Featuring art works by Stanley Sibanda, Charles Nkomo, David Chinyama, Antony Bumhira, Barry Lungu, Charles Bhebhe ,Batsie Muskwe, Boarding Dzinotizei,Crispen,Calvin chimutuwa,Vannessa Hounsel,Noni Mathe,Peter Kwangware ,Ralph Chikambi,Wallen Mapondera, Tendai Gurupira Percy Manyonga, Victor Nyakauru, JanNyabeze, Itayi Njagu, Wilson Zuze, Junior Fungai. 10am to 4pm. Bar and catering by Gava Restaurant. Secure parking. Part proceeds to go to charity projects by Art For Hope
Sunday March 20 – Willowmead Easter Fair. Willowmead Junction shopping complex, Rolfe Valley (opposite St John’s College). 9am to 1pm.
Sunday March 20 and Saturday April 2 – Auditions for Phantom – The Concert. This show will run at Reps Theatre later this year and auditions are being held to find cast members. These will take place at 10.30am on March 20 and 2.30pm on April 2 , both in the Adrian Stanley Room at Reps. Solo voices are needed, as well as full chorus, ages 15 and above. Please bring prepared music for the pianist. To be directed by Sue Bolt, with musical direction by Meg Mackenzie. Performance dates will be June 22 to July 16, with rehearsals from April. As with all Reps productions, no remuneration is given for participation in this show.
Monday March 21 – Monthly restaurateurs and hoteliers luncheon. Open to all owners and managers of restaurants and hotels. Call 0737 694383 to find out more and to book.
Tuesday March 22 – Zimbabwe Council for Tourism breakfast. Guest speaker consultant Mark Oxley, who spoke on international trends at the recent Tourism Convention. Cresta Sango conference centre, 7.45am. Cost $22 per person. Advance booking essential: call (04) 250246. Open to anyone in the travel and tourism sector.
Tuesday March 22 – Fun musical quiz at 167. It’s the latest in the fortnightly quiz events at 167 Enterprise Road, also known as Theo’s House of Coffees. Tonight’s event is a wonderful musical one hosted by Tony Palmer. Dinner available at $5, and drinks on sale. No entry fee. Come along with a team or join in a team – everyone’s welcome to this event, where the accent is on fun.
Wednesday March 23 to Friday March 25 – Easter Funny. A comedy show from Carl Joshua Ncube. Theatre Upstairs at Reps. 7pm each day. Advance booking at The Spotlight. Tickets $10 per person.
Sunday March 27 – Family Day at 167. Celebrate Easter with the whole family .. .eggs, treasure hunts, brunch and lunch, music and fun activities. Easter Sunday menu $3 to $8. Book by calling 0772 881877.
Sunday March 27 – Meikles Hotel Centenary High Tea. Another of the afternoons of leisure and history, with a sumptuous Meikles high tea, followed by a history talk (the hotel has just turned 100 years!) and then a tour of the hotel and surrounds, ending with a glass of bubbly. This is the Easter edition and has an Easter treat! Advance booking essential: contact switchboard@meikles.com. The cost is $14 per person, and all ages are welcome.
Wednesday March 30 – The Pianist. By public demand the final chance to see this acclaimed play, that ran to packed houses at Reps in February. Directed by Graham Crutchley. Featuring Kyla Render, with Annette Eastwood on piano. Starts 7pm, Reps Theatre. Tickets $12 and $10. Book at The Spotlight.
Thursday March 31 to Monday April 4 - Lomagundi College Zambezi River Ride. This mountain bike event, being the first of its kind in the Zambezi valley, has been planned in partnership with ZimParks.  All proceeds from this event are to be directed directly towards the development of C Camp into a permanent base for anti-poaching activities as well as to directly assisting ZimParks in their anti poaching efforts in the Hurungwe area. Download registration forms from www.lomagundi.com  (it’s available on both Lomagundi College Primary School and Lomagundi College pages). E-mail filled-in forms to: lcpsmarketing@lomagundi.com for registration).
Friday April 1 – Sizzling 70s and Electric 80s. A powered musical show featuring Alex Fairlie and Samantha Tirivacho. Theo’s House of Coffees, 167 Enterprise Road. Supper available and bar open. Entry $5. Book by calling 0772 881877.
Monday April 4 – Introduction Basic/Beginner Level 1 Shona for adult learners. Enrolment is in progress for the second intake of 2016 for basic Shona language learners. The venue is in a very quiet private home in Vainona. We have small (five students max) class group lessons which are fun, well thought-out and highly educational. The tutors are dedicated native Shona speakers who are trained, qualified and experienced in teaching second/foreign languages. Tuition fees cover all your learning materials. Choose a morning, afternoon or evening class to join. Courses starting on April 2016 4 and 5 – Group A: morning 3 week Monday-Thursday 10am-12am (8hrs/wk.) Group B: afternoon 4 week Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 12.30pm-2.30pm (6hrs/wk.) Group C: afternoon 6 week Tuesday 5 April. Tuesday and Thursday 3.30pm-5.30pm (4hrs/wk.) Courses starting in May 2016 (after hours) Group D: afternoon 8week course Monday and Wednesday 4pm-5.30pm (3hrs/wk.) Group E: evening 8 week course Monday and Wednesday 5.30pm-7pm (3hrs/wk.) We also offer private one-on-one lessons for children (7 to 15 years) and to adults (16 to 80). We can have a tutor come to your home, office, school or any agreed meeting place to deliver both private one-on-one lessons or bespoke class group lessons any time between 7am and 9pm. Weekend and holiday lessons are available. E-mail: generalinquiries@freeyourmind.co.zw, website: www.freeyourmindlanguagetuition.com,  Facebook. Twitter: @privatelessons2 (Shona/English Tutor)
Tuesday April 5 – Fun quiz night at 167 Enterprise Road. The latest in the fortnightly quiz series. It’s all about fun and it’s for teams. Come and join in a team or bring a team along. Supper available from $6, bar open. Come at 6pm to 6.15pm. Quiz starts 6.45pm promptly. Call 0772 881877 to book a table. 167 is also known as Theo’s House of Coffees. Suitable for all ages.
Saturday April 9 and Sunday April 10 – Orchid Show. Mukuvisi Woodlands. Sat 9am to 4pm, Sun 9am to 2pm. Teas, repotting demo (11am each day), sales table, raffle tickets. Entry $2.
Saturday April 9 – the 2015 DStv Ngoma Awards ceremony. A glittering dinner for the advertising communications industry. Sponsored by MultiChoice Zimbabwe. Venue: Cresta Sango. More details and bookings: Judy Macdonald, call (04) 870306 or e-mail empire@mango.zw
Thursday April 14 – the 2016 Advertising and Publicity Club Suppliers Expo. A trade exhibition aimed, and including, at people in advertising, marketing, public relations, printing and publishing, research, event management, broadcasting and journalism, e-communication and related fields. Booking open now for stands: $60, or $45 for members of the APC. Expo runs 9am to 3pm. More details to be released soon. Enquiries and early bookings: contact aquarius@iwayafrica.co.zw
Tuesday April 19 – The Jumpstart Business Conference. Professor Malcolm McDonald will be hosted by the Marketers’ Association of Zimbabwe at this conference aimed at CEOs/ MDs/ GMs and other non-marketing directors. Venue Rainbow Towers. A one-day event with the theme Meeting the marketing/finance boardroom challenge: how to create a strategy that creates shareholder value. Professor McDonald was listed as one of the UK’s top 10 business consultants by The Times. He has written more than 45 books on the subject of marketing, including the best-seller Marketing Plans: how to prepare them, how to use them. An investment cost of $250 per person. If you book for four directors or more, you will obtain a 10 percent discount. For details and bookings, contact Loreen Chari, loreenc@mazim.co.zw or 0772 454767. Starts 8.30am.
Friday April 22 to Sunday April 24 – The Shakespeare Weekend. 167 Enterprise Road is the venue for a weekend commemorating The Bard on the 400th anniversary of his passing. A musical show, along with a fun presentation and a screening of movies that are set books at O and A levels, and in other examination curricula. Diarise now and wait for more details. There will be something for everyone at this super weekend of commemoration and entertainment.
Saturday April 23 – Vumba Fair. Inn on the Vumba, just outside Mutare. 9am to 4pm. Stay for the weekend – book by calling 020 60722.
Sunday April 24 – Telecel 2016 Drag Racing Series. Donnybrook Raceway. Partnered by Telecel, Nemchem, hp lubes/Castrol, Turbo Solutions Africa, Financial Gazette and Oracle Imaging, Sables/Dragpro welcome race fans and competitors for the first event in the series: 13 classes open to all makes and models of cars and motorcycles, from standard road vehicles to highly modified performance vehicles. Prizes and trophies awarded to the top three in each of the 13 classes. Driver/rider registration closes at 2.30 pm. Admission $5 adults; children under 12 free. Bar and catering and entertainment for children. More info, contact 0735 005500 or e-mail dragproclub@mweb.co.zw, or visit facebook/dragproclub.donnybrook. Race the track, not the street.
Tuesday April 26 to Saturday April 30 – Zimbabwe International Trade Fair 2016. Theme: innovate, integrate, industrialise. Business conference April 27, charity golf challenge April 28, public days April 29 and 30.
Tuesday April 26 to Saturday April 30 – A’Sambeni Africa Business Tourism Expo. ZITF and the ZTA inviting travel and tourism organisations to be at A’Sambeni at the ZITF in Bulawayo. This is Zimbabwe’s second biggest tourism showcase and runs concurrently with the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair. This show has been re-positioned to focus on the fast-growing meetings, incentives, conferences and events area of tourism. The fair will be of special interest to meeting venues, accommodation facilities, destination management companies, exhibition management companies, event management companies, professional conference organisers, tourism authorities and information bureaus, event suppliers and technology providers. Visitors to the show will include travel decision makers, incentive houses, potential investors, business travellers, conference organisers and destination management companies. Contact Sheona Pedzapasi at the ZTA’s National Convention Bureau, e-mail sheona@ztazim.co.zw or call (04) 758712.
Saturday April 30 – Iain Macdonald’s art, crafts and books fair. Chisipite Junior School, 9am to 4pm.
Saturday May 7 – Harare International School May Fair. 9am to 3pm. HIS is off Pendennis Road, Mount Pleasant.
Sunday May 8 – Celebrity Subscription Concerts’ recital: Ammiel Bushakevitz (piano). 3pm,venue is likely to be Arundel School Chapel.
Saturday May 21 – Chegutu Touch Bowl. The 12th annual edition of this popular event. Bryden Country School, Chegutu. Rugby starts 8am. Children’s entertainment, bar and catering, free camping available. Under-16s free, all other $15 entry fee. Book teams or get more info from Colin Delport, 0772 345314, e-mail colindelport22@gmail.com.
Saturday June 4 – Zimbabwe Music Teachers’ Society annual concert. 3pm, Arundel School Chapel. More details in due course but diarise the date now.
Sunday June 12 – Celebrity Subscription Concerts’ pre-Bulawayo Music Festival recital. Diarise now and await full details.
Wednesday June 15 to Sunday June 19 – The Bulawayo Music Festival. Back after a four-year break. Musicians will include Nokuthula Ngwenyama (violin), Theo Bross (cello), the Odeion Quartet, Leslie Howard (piano) and Coady Green (piano). More information from music@gatorzw.co.uk
Thursday June 16 to Saturday June 18 – Sanganai/Hlanganani/World Tourism Expo. The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority hosts the ninth annual edition of this event, to be held this year in the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds, Bulawayo, using Halls 3 and 4. The relocation of Sanganai/Hlanganani/World Tourism Expo to the city of Bulawayo has been done to stimulate the development and growth of tourism in regions across the country. Sanganai/Hlanganani is one of Africa’s premier tourism showcases, aimed at bringing international buyers and exhibitors under one roof. Details can be sourced from the Executive Director, National Convention Bureau, call (04) 770409 or e-mail ncb@ztazim.co.zw. Alternatively, contact the exhibition team: edson@ztazim.co.zw, sheona@ztazim.co.zw or sanganai@ztazim.co.zw
Thursday June 16 to Saturday June 18 – Barnyard Theatre returns to Harare with a show called Vegas. Diarise now and information will come soon on booking dates and costs. More information, including requests for gala shows, from Minky Walters, mwalters@dae.co.zw
Sunday July 3 – 2016 Borrowdale Craft Fair. Old Georgians’ Club. Booking for exhibitors now open. Contact us as 256 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, corner 5th Street. Office open between 8am and 2pm Mon-Fri. E-mail itafrica@zol.co.zw
Friday September 23 to Sunday September 25 – The 2016 Zimbabwe Motor Show. Venue: Old Georgians Sports Club. Previous exhibitors have first option on their exhibition stands and new exhibitors are welcome. Visit Facebook/ZimbabweMotorShow. Enquiries and bookings to Gabriel Ettlin, event organiser, tel. 0774 336376.
Sunday brunch in the luxury of the five-star Meikles Hotel. Enjoy a delightful buffet breakfast in the newly-refashioned Pavilion Bistro, a bright and breezy restaurant overlooking the hotel’s own rooftop garden across to colourful Africa Unity Square. Adults $25, youngsters $15, under-threes free. 9am to 1pm every Sunday. Reservations by contacting sphillips@meikles.com or calling Salma Phillips on (04) 707721.
 Celebrity Subscription Concerts is back in action and everyone is invited to join, and enjoy superb performances by invited international classical music performers. Scheduled performances being arranged: May 8 and June 12, plus four others later in the year. The membership officer is Veronique Wakerley (vawakerley@zol.co.zw). Subs for 2016: Red Carpet (all recitals during the year, plus after-recital receptions) – $100 per person or $180 per couple. Ordinary members: (four recitals, plus discount for remaining recitals) – $40 per person or $70 per couple.
Sunday Special at Cresta Oasis Hotel and Apartments. Join us each Sunday for our  tshisa nyama, gochi gochi family braai. Enjoy flame- grilled goodness around our terrace and pooldeck and your Sundays will never be the same. You get to braai your own meat while relaxing in our homely environment, and enjoy great music from Lwazi Tshabangu. Prices start from $5 with complimentary sadza. Salads and drinks also available. Times: 11am to 4pm. Lots of fun and activities each Sunday, too. Local beers: buy 1 and get 1 free; and for the children, ‘pop a balloon’ for under-12s. Prizes include toys, meal vouchers and birthday cakes. Don’t keep this great news to yourself: tell someone.
Some helpful information about school terms in 2016: First term, which started on Tuesday January 12, ends Wednesday March 23. Second term – Start: Tuesday May 3, End: Thursday August 4, half term: June 17 to 20. Public Holidays: Africa Day, May 25. Third term: Start Tuesday September 6, End: Thursday December 8, half term: October 14 to 17. First term 2017 starts Tuesday January 10. Thank you to Paula Blackburn of St George’s College for assistance with this useful information.
Enjoy Lake Kariba on a luxurious passenger ship, the Zambezi Trader. An adventure of relaxation on tailor-made cruises, with flexible packages for any group event, be it church, family, corporate or school. Visit us at 78 Churchill Avenue, Alexandra Park or call us on (04) 744114/152 or 0782 300388 or 0772 967787.
Post published in: Entertainment