The premiere of Third Life by Nanzikambe Arts at their base, Nanzikambe Arts Café, has not only proven that they are on their way to regain the lost glory of Malawian theatre, but also proven that Malawian plays are as good as adopted European plays.
Written by Mzuzu University (Mzuni) lecturer, Mapopa Sanga and directed as a collaborative effort by all cast members, the play took the audience through mazes of puzzles, thrills and suspense.
Third Life is centred on its protagonist Kapeya Kapito who is struggling in life while his former classmates are enjoying a good life.
During one of his drinking sprees, he meets a long-time friend with whom he shares his burden.
The friend offers help by introducing him to his church where he is promised wealth.
However in the quest to finding wealth and his newly found faith, Kapeya discovers the church is not a Christian church at all after being forced to sleep with one of the girls who were kept at the church but were believed by the society to be dead, and killing fellow church members, Kapito discovers the church is not Christian.
In the end he escapes from the church and rescues the girls.
The strength of the play springs from the powerful storyline.
With their acting, which demonstrated meticulous preparation and focus, the ensemble put forth a story that left the audience asking more questions than answers.
Although suspense is a good thing, the play did not establish the motive of the church, which did not seem to be grounded on Christian doctrine which it claimed to abide by.
Scene two,where the church members enter a spiritual realm to show Kapito the life which he will live if he abides by the rules of the church, was hazy such that it just looked like some normal choreography.
The cast on this scene should have done a better job.
However, from the previous performances of the group, one can sense that the group is improving in its delivery, although there is still a lot of room for improvement.
