Easter Theatre Festival has been a stable feature on the local arts calendar for six years now. The festival gives a platform to local and international theatre players to showcase their talent, network and learn from each other. For 2026, the festival is back and our Arts Editor EDITH GONDWE caught up with the festival’s director MacArthur Matukuta for details. Excerpts: Q: When is this year’s Easter Theatre Festival expected to take place?
A: The festival is happening from March 27 to 28 at Portuguese Club, next to Wanderers Football Club House in Chichiri, Blantyre. This year, the festival is being held under the theme ‘Theatre, a voice of the voiceless’.
Q: How many groups are going to perform at the festival?
A: Actually, the festival comprises of performances from three countries, Scotland, Malawi and Germany.
We were supposed to have about seven countries but we have been affected by the Iran war which also involves Israel and USA. We were expecting actors from the US, but they have failed to come due to high costs of flights.
We were also expecting some from Portugal, but they were affected by climate issues. But all in all, we have got a good number of groups participating and we expect 12 theatre performances from Malawi and outside.
The other important aspect of the festival are workshops. Easter Theatre Festival does not go without workshops. We are going to have different kinds of workshops.
We will have workshops hosted by artists from Germany and others hosted by University of Malawi’s (Unima)Drama and Theatre Studies Department.
This will involve senior professors and lecturers.
This is a new chapter in Malawi because there is a special course in theatre and drama now at Unima. If I am not mistaken, students are in second year now.
Q: Tell us some of the groups that are expected to perform at the festival?
A: We have established artists such as Upile Drama Group, Logos Drama Group, YDC Theatre Group, Nzeka Arts and Women in Theatre. Women in Theatre is a grouping of women in theatre artists, so it comprises veterans, upcoming and inter-mediaries.
We have got collaboration groups of Malawian and Germany artists. Then we have dance troupes such as Judges Cultural Troupes, Chichiri Prison Cultural Troupe and Unima Theatre Society who will perform at the festival as well.
Our headliner is Kate Stafford, founder of Nanzikambe Arts and she is coming with Chameleon from Scotland. It is a collaboration with us supported by the British council.
Q: How important is this festival to the development of theatre in Malawi and to Malawians in general?
A: Theatre festivals are important in Malawi. We first look at theatre development. You learn from peers and gain knowledge from the practitioners who are in the industry.
They help to build your career and grow in the industry. The collaborations help those involved to learn from each other. There is a lot of cultural exchange. And of course the economic impact to the nation.
During these festivals, artists from other countries come and they obviously bring in forex. It is not only fellow artists that benefit, but Malawi in general. The festival also gives an opportunity to Malawians to appreciate other cultures through performances of visiting artists.
Q: How many editions of the festival have we had and so far and what has been the experience?
A: We have had six editions of the Easter Theatre Festival and this is the seventh. It has been a journey of growth and collaborations. We are promising that we will do more in years to come.
