This week has been a busy one. The Caine Prize winner will be announced on Monday, and the five shortlisted candidates are in town - including my friend Stanley Kenani who has been shortlisted for the second time (the first time was in 2008).
So it was off to the Royal Overseas League on Thursday for the first of a series of panel discussions with the shortlisted writers. A very lively, robust and entertaining evening, made even more fun by the fact that Stanley had had a couple of glasses of wine before going on stage, which loosened his tongue marvellously. They were asked the question about whether they thought of themselves as African writers and the blue touch paper was lit. Stanley said he wasn't going to answer that question until writers from European countries were asked if they through of themselves as 'European writers'. "This question really pisses me off" he said. Fantastic stuff. He got a well-deserved round of applause.
Today it was the Royal African Society's 2 day festival at SOAS. Again, a most interesting discussion with the Caine Prize writers. Made more so for me by the addition of James Gibbs in the audience - a rare pleasure to have a chat with this grandee of the African Theatre world. I also took the opportunity of asking Dr Mpalive Msiska (reader in English at Birkbeck University) if he would be interested in chairing a Q&A with Jack during the run of the show. In theory he is - but a family wedding in Malawi slap bang in the middle of the run may de-rail the plan. We'll see.
Tomorrow I am back at SOAS for an event featuring Jack Mapanje and the publisher of his memoir, Becky Nana Ayebia. Looking forward to a stimulating discussion, and of course Jack is always very entertaining.
Other developments this week have included the confirmation of our Arts Council funding - a great relief - and the ensuing flurry of activity. I have now employed a Company Stage Manager, the lovely Kala Simpson, and a very talented young Lighting Designer, Charlie Jones. Charlie has some fab ideas, and it was a joy to talk some of them through with him. This is going to be a very exciting show!
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Sunday, 3 June 2012
expanding the team
And so the expansion continues ... today Amy and I held interviews for some new people, as we are overwhelmed by the amount of administration and organisation we have to do in the next few weeks. Found some great people, and offers have been made. I'll let you know if and when they're accepted!
This is an anxious time ... still waiting to hear from the Arts Council, fingers tightly crossed in anticipation. However, we're getting more and more people involved - Chickenshed are now official parters, and have given us some rehearsal space, which makes a massive difference, and I had a very positive meeting with Border Crossings on collaborations during the Africa Salon at The Africa Centre during August. We will be performing 'Crocodiles', and Border Crossings will be curating a series of African events, including a workshop delivered by our extraordinary company of multi-talented Malawians.
But still ... if the Arts Council don't come through, we can run the project but it will be on a shoestring, and very difficult to do. So we've got everything crossed. Trying not to think about it while I embark on the final re-write of Crocodiles.
This is an anxious time ... still waiting to hear from the Arts Council, fingers tightly crossed in anticipation. However, we're getting more and more people involved - Chickenshed are now official parters, and have given us some rehearsal space, which makes a massive difference, and I had a very positive meeting with Border Crossings on collaborations during the Africa Salon at The Africa Centre during August. We will be performing 'Crocodiles', and Border Crossings will be curating a series of African events, including a workshop delivered by our extraordinary company of multi-talented Malawians.
But still ... if the Arts Council don't come through, we can run the project but it will be on a shoestring, and very difficult to do. So we've got everything crossed. Trying not to think about it while I embark on the final re-write of Crocodiles.
Sunday, 13 May 2012
co-incidences and serendipitous connections
Had a wonderful time yesterday at Chickenshed, where Border Crossings were running Sunshine on a Rainy Day, a one-day mini festival of Southern African performance. Michael Walling (Artistic Director of Border Crossings) had invited me to be on the panel for the discussion. I didn't know what to expect but was delighted to find myself sitting between Arifani Moyo and Christopher Maphosa, both amazingly interesting Zimbabweans. Ari is studying for his doctorate, and also worked for Nanzikambe, the company I founded - although a long time after I had returned to the UK so this was a big - and happy - surprise to me. Christopher was there because his life story was the inspiration behind the play we were to see later in the day - a one man show called The Rain That Washes, written by Dave Carey, directed by Kieran Fay and performed - quite brilliantly - by Ashley Maynard.
The discussion ranged widely, taking in some of my favourite things to talk about ... the role of political theatre in Africa; how Shakespeare can be used to get a subversive message across that would be censored in a modern play; theatre as education as well as entertainment, for both adults and children. Of course I talked at length about Jack Mapanje and And Crocodiles Are Hungry At Night ...
Earlier in the day we saw a lovely film called Kini and Adams. Made in 1997 it has never had a general release here, which is little short of a scandal. Directed by Idrissa Ouedraogo in English, and set in an unspecified Southern African country it is a road movie where they never actually leave town, is funny and tragic and an absolute gem. I only wish I could tell you where to get a copy. Associate Director Amy Bonsall was with me and was surprised and delighted to see that the film was featuring John Kani, who became a friend when she worked on Hamlet with him in Cape Town.
Later we had a chance to have a long chat with Dave Carey. He has also been to Blantyre, visiting Nanzikambe and working with Mphundu Mjumira and Dipo Katimba on their Street Children project. So you can imagine his pleasure at the news that Mphundu is in the Crocodiles cast and will be arriving in just a few short weeks. We are trying to arrange one of our workshops to be held at Chickenshed.
So the day had a very Malawian flavour; it was wonderful to find these connections. Michael was talking about his work with David Kerr in Botswana - another of my Malawian theatre contacts as David taught for many years at the University of Malawi. (I'm proud to say I introduced them, although I'm sure they would have met sooner or later without me!).
So now I have to get on with the pre-production. We have had some very bad news, as Dipo has had her visa application denied, and will not be able to be part of the UK productions. However, we are incredibly lucky that Angella Ching'amba is here, living in Nottingham and available to come to London to be in the show. We will greatly miss Dipo, but as Angella was in the research and development piece, After Mikuyu, it will also be a joyful reunion.
The discussion ranged widely, taking in some of my favourite things to talk about ... the role of political theatre in Africa; how Shakespeare can be used to get a subversive message across that would be censored in a modern play; theatre as education as well as entertainment, for both adults and children. Of course I talked at length about Jack Mapanje and And Crocodiles Are Hungry At Night ...
Earlier in the day we saw a lovely film called Kini and Adams. Made in 1997 it has never had a general release here, which is little short of a scandal. Directed by Idrissa Ouedraogo in English, and set in an unspecified Southern African country it is a road movie where they never actually leave town, is funny and tragic and an absolute gem. I only wish I could tell you where to get a copy. Associate Director Amy Bonsall was with me and was surprised and delighted to see that the film was featuring John Kani, who became a friend when she worked on Hamlet with him in Cape Town.
Later we had a chance to have a long chat with Dave Carey. He has also been to Blantyre, visiting Nanzikambe and working with Mphundu Mjumira and Dipo Katimba on their Street Children project. So you can imagine his pleasure at the news that Mphundu is in the Crocodiles cast and will be arriving in just a few short weeks. We are trying to arrange one of our workshops to be held at Chickenshed.
So the day had a very Malawian flavour; it was wonderful to find these connections. Michael was talking about his work with David Kerr in Botswana - another of my Malawian theatre contacts as David taught for many years at the University of Malawi. (I'm proud to say I introduced them, although I'm sure they would have met sooner or later without me!).
So now I have to get on with the pre-production. We have had some very bad news, as Dipo has had her visa application denied, and will not be able to be part of the UK productions. However, we are incredibly lucky that Angella Ching'amba is here, living in Nottingham and available to come to London to be in the show. We will greatly miss Dipo, but as Angella was in the research and development piece, After Mikuyu, it will also be a joyful reunion.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
the journey continues
Been back just over a month and so much has happened. After advertising on the Young Vic directors' forum, as of today I now have two new associates:
Amy Bonsall has joined as Associate Director, and she will direct a production of Romeo and Juliet to be performed in the gardens of Hall's Croft in Stratford. She has only just been appointed, and already I'm wondering how I managed without her energy and ideas.
Working with Amy as Assistant Director for R&J will be Roe Lane, who is coming to the end of her MA in Text and Performance at Birkbeck/RADA and has been associated with my Malawian theatre work since 2004 when she joined Nanzikambe for her gap year. I'm really looking forward to having her around again, and will be shamelessly exploiting her intelligence and good nature!
The second of my new Associates is Jemma Gross, who has galloped in on her white charger to take over responsibility for the PR and Marketing of And Crocodiles Are Hungry At Night and Romeo and Juliet. I am feeling very lucky!
Of course it's not all plain sailing. Today has also seen some very worried messages from Misheck in Malawi who is planning on travelling to Germany this coming Monday for the project with Theater Konstanz. Misheck and Dipo from our Crocs company are both also doing the German project; they already have German visas (these took 2 days to process) and have sent their passports to the British High Commission to get the UK visas before the trip to Germany. They have now been waiting a month with no feedback from UK visas - so now they have had to ask to cancel the application and have their passports returned urgently. Apparently the UK government 'outsource their visa function' to South Africa so the passports are not even in Malawi. Fingers crossed that the passports make it back to Malawi in time - and we will have to start the visa application all over again. This does not make me proud to be British.
Also in the last month Amy and I have prepared and submitted the Arts Council application for Grants for the Arts. A long and arduous process, it's also very useful as it makes us be truly specific about why we want to do the project and what we hope to achieve. I only hope the application is strong enough to beat off the competition (at the moment only 45% of applications get approved for funding). Now our attention must turn to all the other funding applications waiting to be completed ...
Amy Bonsall has joined as Associate Director, and she will direct a production of Romeo and Juliet to be performed in the gardens of Hall's Croft in Stratford. She has only just been appointed, and already I'm wondering how I managed without her energy and ideas.
Working with Amy as Assistant Director for R&J will be Roe Lane, who is coming to the end of her MA in Text and Performance at Birkbeck/RADA and has been associated with my Malawian theatre work since 2004 when she joined Nanzikambe for her gap year. I'm really looking forward to having her around again, and will be shamelessly exploiting her intelligence and good nature!
The second of my new Associates is Jemma Gross, who has galloped in on her white charger to take over responsibility for the PR and Marketing of And Crocodiles Are Hungry At Night and Romeo and Juliet. I am feeling very lucky!
Of course it's not all plain sailing. Today has also seen some very worried messages from Misheck in Malawi who is planning on travelling to Germany this coming Monday for the project with Theater Konstanz. Misheck and Dipo from our Crocs company are both also doing the German project; they already have German visas (these took 2 days to process) and have sent their passports to the British High Commission to get the UK visas before the trip to Germany. They have now been waiting a month with no feedback from UK visas - so now they have had to ask to cancel the application and have their passports returned urgently. Apparently the UK government 'outsource their visa function' to South Africa so the passports are not even in Malawi. Fingers crossed that the passports make it back to Malawi in time - and we will have to start the visa application all over again. This does not make me proud to be British.
Also in the last month Amy and I have prepared and submitted the Arts Council application for Grants for the Arts. A long and arduous process, it's also very useful as it makes us be truly specific about why we want to do the project and what we hope to achieve. I only hope the application is strong enough to beat off the competition (at the moment only 45% of applications get approved for funding). Now our attention must turn to all the other funding applications waiting to be completed ...
Monday, 12 March 2012
reviews ....
Well there was a lot of press around the launch of And Crocodiles are Hungry at Night ... here are two of them
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
all done and dusted
So I'm now sitting in the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where I shall languish for several hours before flying back to London.
And Crocodiles Are Hungry At Night was a great success ... good sized audiences who seemed to love it. Reviews are now coming in, and although I haven't seen the review in The Nation (I was in transit) today, I have heard it is good. I'm trying to search for it online without much luck ... but I'm sure someone will send it to me soon. I have however found a very positive piece in Nyasa Times which of course I will be quoting in my funding applications for the UK performances in July ...
http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2012/03/05/mpinganjira-shed-tears-as-nanzikambe-staged-mapanje-memoirs/
The opening night was fabulous. Brown Mpinganjira came and cried throughout. Sitting next to Smith Likongwe in the audience he had to remove his glasses often to wipe his eyes. After the show he was invited on stage to say a few words, and was extremely gracious. I feel so pleased that we told his story with integrity - he said that he has been unable to write his memoir as he finds it too upsetting but wants to see the story told. So we have helped with that.
So my Malawi trip is over. It has been a wonderfully creative time and such a joy to be working with the Nanzikambe guys again. We now have a theatre space with a high domed roof and lights (not many, but it's a start) and Nkhwachi Mhango, who was working on the show preparing the performance space and helping with set, now has the bit properly between his teeth. We are working on him coming to the UK with the company and he has asked that I set him up with some theatre lighting and sound people so that he can learn how to run the space more professionally. He loved learning how to use QLab, and run basic sound effects and music through a laptop and has become a bit of a keen techie. So I have another air fare to find, and some capacity-building meetings to set up. I've no idea how difficult or easy this will be, but all I can do is make a start when I get back.
And Crocodiles Are Hungry At Night was a great success ... good sized audiences who seemed to love it. Reviews are now coming in, and although I haven't seen the review in The Nation (I was in transit) today, I have heard it is good. I'm trying to search for it online without much luck ... but I'm sure someone will send it to me soon. I have however found a very positive piece in Nyasa Times which of course I will be quoting in my funding applications for the UK performances in July ...
http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2012/03/05/mpinganjira-shed-tears-as-nanzikambe-staged-mapanje-memoirs/
The opening night was fabulous. Brown Mpinganjira came and cried throughout. Sitting next to Smith Likongwe in the audience he had to remove his glasses often to wipe his eyes. After the show he was invited on stage to say a few words, and was extremely gracious. I feel so pleased that we told his story with integrity - he said that he has been unable to write his memoir as he finds it too upsetting but wants to see the story told. So we have helped with that.
So my Malawi trip is over. It has been a wonderfully creative time and such a joy to be working with the Nanzikambe guys again. We now have a theatre space with a high domed roof and lights (not many, but it's a start) and Nkhwachi Mhango, who was working on the show preparing the performance space and helping with set, now has the bit properly between his teeth. We are working on him coming to the UK with the company and he has asked that I set him up with some theatre lighting and sound people so that he can learn how to run the space more professionally. He loved learning how to use QLab, and run basic sound effects and music through a laptop and has become a bit of a keen techie. So I have another air fare to find, and some capacity-building meetings to set up. I've no idea how difficult or easy this will be, but all I can do is make a start when I get back.
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Blackout
So here we are: Tuesday. We open on Saturday and no electricity all day. I'm writing this while my laptop still has some battery life ... came in this morning with a newly-edited script ready to print out, but no, things are not so easy in Malawi.
The cars are all grounded, as there is no fuel, diesel or petrol, to be had in Blantyre at the moment. At every new rumour of a delivery, queues form at the filling stations. So my lovely borrowed car is no use to me just now!
On a more positive note, Misheck and I went to the Censorship Board yesterday and they have passed our script. They wanted us to take out two words: one of the characters is not allowed to describe the national anthem as 'stupid' and another is not allowed to describe the president's official hostess as his 'concubine'. Ha! We can still convey the message without the words so it's fine. It's almost as though they were looking for something to censor while leaving the play intact. We're allowed to insinuate that John Tembo and the Kadzamira siblings were complicit in the murder of many people; we're allowed to say 'bloody shit' and 'bloody murderers' (in two languages!). But not to call the national anthem 'stupid'. Ah well.
The cars are all grounded, as there is no fuel, diesel or petrol, to be had in Blantyre at the moment. At every new rumour of a delivery, queues form at the filling stations. So my lovely borrowed car is no use to me just now!
On a more positive note, Misheck and I went to the Censorship Board yesterday and they have passed our script. They wanted us to take out two words: one of the characters is not allowed to describe the national anthem as 'stupid' and another is not allowed to describe the president's official hostess as his 'concubine'. Ha! We can still convey the message without the words so it's fine. It's almost as though they were looking for something to censor while leaving the play intact. We're allowed to insinuate that John Tembo and the Kadzamira siblings were complicit in the murder of many people; we're allowed to say 'bloody shit' and 'bloody murderers' (in two languages!). But not to call the national anthem 'stupid'. Ah well.
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