Waz Arts Theatre held two shows in Blantyre on Saturday with their new political satire Reverend Bolamoyo. The turn up may have disappointed, but the cast was super. They put up a spirited performance to the satisfaction of the audience.
In both shows, the audience would clap hands, a sign that they loved and followed the play keenly. The reviews, after the performance, confirmed that Waz Arts Theatre lived up to the expectations.
“Well, we would have loved to have more people so that the message gets to many. But in any case, we have to deliver the production regardless of numbers” said play writer Suzgo Chitete who played Reverend Bolamoyo.
Times Group business journalist Chimwemwe Mangazi, who watched the afternoon performance, rated the show highly on his Facebook post, calling it “top-notch”. But Mangazi felt the low turn up was due to poor publicity.
Rev. Bolamoyo has a story line that looks straightforward, but the plot is complicated, so is the message.
It requires an extra sense to decipher the deep, unsaid message. For an easy mind, the play was just for laughs. But for anyone who understands theatre – Reverend Bolamoyo is a package of serious message.
The story revolves around the Jumahiri’s who are desperate for a child and with this desperation they turn to a reverend. Sabrina or Mrs. Jumahiri, played by Jacqueline Ndhlovu, met the reverend in a bus where he prophesised about her as a woman in need of a child.
With this prophesy, Sabrina is convinced this is a man to trust. She tried to convince her husband ( Jeremiah Mwaungulu) that the reverend, who was also a self-touted prophet, was the answer.
“We cannot just trust him for being a Reverend. We need to subject him to some due diligence” says Jumahiri as he responds to Sabrina’s plea to bring the prophet in the house after a witchdoctor failed to help having been engaged the couple for six years.
The play speaks to everyday life where people have resorted to prophets or witchdoctors for help. This could be one message, but the connection between the reverend replacing a witchdoctor who failed to help for six years may have some political correlation to the transition of power from former president Peter Mutharika to President Lazarus Chakwera.
Mutharika was in power for six years and there was a feeling that he failed to deliver and, therefore, Reverend Chakwera was presented as a better choice. Of course, the play does not say so, but this could be a subtle meaning.
Said Chitete: “Let people themselves interpret it. We really cannot control that. But the major lesson is that sometimes when we are too desperate, we fall for anything.
“The Jumahiri’s home represent so many things; it can be a family, community or State.”
The reverend is introduced in scene two. As he arrives at the Jumahiri’s he meets the watchman Jason played by Blessings Suya.
Jason behaves quite authoritative as he shares house rules with the reverend. In fact it would appear that Jason, in the absence of his boss, is the boss.
Besides the reverend, the Jumahiri’s house is also home to Professor Tenson (Francis Chimalizeni) who is a brother to Sabrina. Tenson lives with his girlfriend, Vivien (Mary Chilongo).
The professor is unmarried, but is pushed to do so for political correctness as he aspires to compete in presidential elections. The professor (pronounced pulofesa), relates to how former President Peter Mutharika was usually addressed by some party members.
Being a political satire, one cannot divorce the message from these political incidents in Malawi.
Jason is very close to Vivien and really wants her to get married to the Professor so that she can recommend him for appointment as a personal body guard should the professor make it to State House.
“Be ambitious. Personal body guard sounds cheap, but presidential adviser would be good,” Vivien tells Jason who insists that this is where “real money and power is”. The script sounds all familiar with those who follow current affairs in Malawi.
The Jumahiri’s house is a theatre of comedy. The reverend is also going after Vivien and Jason knows about it.
“If the professor does not score, turn to the reverend. If the reverend scores, take the results to the professor. Who will know when you have been playing in both halves? Only you will know the true scorer as they say maternity is a fact and paternity is an opinion,” says Jason sending the audience into stitches.
With the conflict created between the professor and the reverend, the play takes a different direction as all those in Jumahiri’s house, save for Jason, prepare for a rally in support of the professor.
