France misses out at Mwezi Wawala
Organisers of Mwezi Wawala International Theatre and Arts Festival failed to realise their dream of hosting an international puppet act during their festival which run from last Friday to Sunday at the Nanzikambe Arts Café in Naperi, Blantyre.
Elisabetta Potaso a French artist who registered to perform at the festival, failed to travel to Malawi after her luggage went missing at an airport in France.
According to Maluwa, the artist reported immediately that she would not travel because she could not perform without her materials.
Potaso performs with Compagnie Filles En Tropiques, a French puppet troupe she founded in 2006. She was expected to showcase her talents in puppetry.
Maluwa apologised to the patrons more especially those that came with children to watch the puppet acts. Also missing from the festival was Zimbabwe’s multi-award winning group, the Savanna Trust, which according to Maluwa failed to come due to lack of funds.
As if covering the gap, German popular theatre group Theater Konstanz member Johannes Merz thrilled the audience with his one man act, A report to an Academy. It was a marvelous performance full of creativity if read from the gestures, simple stage set-up and few wording in the act.
Members of the Poetry Association of Malawi (PAM) started the day followed by contemporary dance by Fikisa. However, the momentum rose after Alfred Msadala and Nyamalikiti Nthiwatiwa performed. Dikamawoko Arts Band was the last to perform.
They produced another marvel performance that took the audience to after midnight.
“It was a successful festival. I am happy that all artists we booked were cooperative,” said Maluwa.
Mwezi Wawala International Theatre and Arts Festival is an annual event run by Nanzikambe Arts.
