Becoming The Muse

The Taking Review

The Taking is a stage play originally crafted by playwright Raisedon Baya a decade ago. As a part of the build up to this year’s Intwasa Festival, The Taking has enjoyed a renewed theatrical run with sold out performances in Bulawayo and Harare.

The production is a creative reconstruction of Zimbabwe’s history and storytelling narrative centred on the land issue, from colonial occupation, independence through to the land invasion known as the Third Chimurenga.

I watched the production at the Jasen Mphepo Little Theatre in Harare where it received a standing ovation from a full house despite the weekend rains which one would think might affect attendance.

The Good

The cast comprising of Zenzo Nyathi, Alex Marowa, Albert Tshuma, Mzingaye Ngwabi, Lonesome Tapiwa and directed by Memory Kumbota gave the old play a fresh coat of paint and energetic performance that incorporated song, dance and mime in its storytelling.

The Taking is a multi-character play were the cast play multiple characters, seamlessly switching roles and scenes on a minimalistic set with simply their bodies, voices and movements as the props in a spell binding physical production that is a testimony to the cast’s multifaceted talents.

A decade after this play was written and its still as relevant today, as it was then, a testament to our need to tackle and reflect on the actions and consequences raised in the play. At its core the play is about the land issue from colonial displacement to independence, the promise of redress and the chaotic land reform exercise. By juxtaposing the parallels in history’s ever repeating cycles, the play shows how there is grievances from every perspective with each side overlooking or turning a blind eye in the pursuit of their interests.

The Taking is not just about the taking of the land…soil, but our identity, and the stories that have shaped and preserved that identity. The play tackles the weaponisation of censorship, where our stories have been muzzled because they painted a picture some did not want to be told.

The Bad

While the minimalistic set ensured the performance had the centre stage and the audience’s attention, I felt that the play could have done with a bit more costuming for dramatic flair and character identification than the simple prison garb they wore, unless of course it was a defiant message on how our storytelling is still imprisoned..

It reminded me of a time when dancehall artist Winky D perfomed at a concert dressed in prison gear.

The Ugly

Art holds up a mirror to society and shows us who we are.. The Taking asks some difficult questions…. And if you think the conversation of the land is over its still out there simmering.

As I was writing this review, I saw the article about how the U.S. Court ordered Zimbabwe to pay $440 million in land dispute with Swiss-German family who lost property in the land redistribution programme. The implications of such rulings could have wide reaching consequences, and yet all we were trying to do was correct historical injustices. Maybe this play needs to be performed in front of the courts and entered as a motion to appeal….

Final Thoughts

The Taking is a provocative retelling of our history and identity. I hope it gets a long theatrical run and graces stages in Africa and beyond because its not simply Zimbabwe’s story but one most will find familiar (minus the 3^rd Chimurenga)