Umodzi returns to stage

By Emmanuel Luciano

The once popular local drama outfit, Umodzi Drama Group, returns to stage with professor Emeritus Steve Chimombo’s Wachiona Ndani after years of absence on the theatrical scene.

Umodzi took the country’s theatrical arena by storm in the early 90s with its vernacular plays like Bawo wa Padenga, Chiphetsa, Akuwajika, and Mkwati wa Mtawuni.

But the group’s director Peter Kunje said they were staging Wachiona Ndani in secondary schools for assessment as the group had just acquired a copyright to put Wachiona Ndani on DVD.

“We thought of contributing to the revival of literature in the country by producing literature books into DVDs. We approached several publishing companies and one of them Dzuka gave us a copyright on Wachiona Ndani, which we have already staged in some secondary schools in the Lower Shire for assessment before we put it on DVD,” he said.

Kunje said the group, which has already taken the play to Bangula, Ngabu, Chikwawa, St Lawrence and Bangwe secondary schools would next week perform at Stella Maris, Blantyre and Kaphuka Secondary Schools.

The director also said shows had been earmarked for other venues like French Cultural Centre for an ordinary audience.

According to Kunje Wachiona Ndani, which has a cast of 15, revolves around the evils of gambling as encouraged by Abiti Selempani (Fanny Andersiki).

Kunje, who said the project also marked the return of the group to stage drama, took time to explain the group’s absence on stage.

“Umodzi had had so many contracts. We had the Safe Motherhood Project with the Ministry of Health, and then we had to produce a film, Nasibeko, for the Episcopal Conference of Malawi. The projects took a lot of our time but we are ready to give our fans the best,” he said.