Fresh from Edinburgh, Allegations opens at Theatre in the Park

The moving play — with a lot of you-did-not-just-say-that honesty from the writer and director of award-winning Loupe — will be showing for the first time in Zimbabwe unlike in the past when Theatre in the Park would host plays from the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) after their initial runs at the festival.
Written by acclaimed young author of highly-charged plays, Mandisi Gobodi, directed by award-winning film and theatre director, Patience Tawengwa, and featuring a rare two man combination of high-powered, Daniel Hargrove and versatile Everson Ndlovu, Allegations is both an emotional and comical piece that examines the not-so-distant past in Zimbabwe while looking to the future and possible reconciliation.
The producers, Rooftop Promotions, are ecstatic about the play as it is expected to revive the vibe and hype at Theatre in the Park after a rather disappointing run of Fragile, which got a lukewarm response from thespians.
“The play, which premiered to critical acclaim and full houses at HIFA 2009 as part of the HIFA Direct programme, has not had the opportunity to have a run that covers a broader audience in Zimbabwe like what happened to Loupe and we, therefore, felt that it is imperative that we give our thespians a run for their money with this production,” said Daves Guzha, the producer at Rooftop.
“This is in line with our mission to prestigiously promote talent so we feel that it is necessary to complement the mentoring and nurturing of emerging writers and directors, done by HIFA Direct, for instance, by providing an opportunity for brilliant plays that come out of the project with a platform to increase their footprint. Hence for our audiences coming to this play Allegations will not only be entertainment and enlightenment for you, but also encouragement to Zimbabwe’s emerging talent which has taken no time to claim a place in mainstream theatre.”
Rooftop has in the past showcased works Wedding Day, a hi-five play by Patrick Mahlasera, which has gone regional and award-winning Loupe, which has also gone international.
However, Allegations seeks to test national healing and what it means to a white farmer and a black rural dweller? What do these two people from different classes have in common? Is it possible to let sleeping dogs lie? Reason, a black peasant farmer (played by Ndlovu) has his home burnt down during a politically motivated attack and Spud (Hargrove), a white commercial farmer, loses his farm and his father during a farm invasion.
When they meet, relate and argue, they actually realise that they have more in common than they previously imagined — including a feeling of powerlessness to do anything about a third force that has brought them both to their knees. Welcome to Allegations.
The show closes on October 9 and runs everyday except for Sunday and Monday and tickets are going for US$3.