MAPEACOCKS ON THEATRE FOR CHILDREN By: Mwai Wiseman Kadzandira

The pupils on dancing performance

A very beautiful and brighter day of 4^th April 2017, a day were by Mapeacocks met handsome and beautiful young gentlemen and ladies from St Patrick’s Academy (primary). The toddlers had a lovely morning a morning full of joy and fun in overall they had a rousing morning.

At exactly 8:30 am the fun began by teaching the young ones theatre games the likes of ‘’ I PEPETA’’ this is a theatre game where by a person enters on the middle of the circle made by the people and starts a song and the others copies in short it’s a do as I do kind of game, the kids loved this game because it was their time to shine they had to show their free styles and it was played amazingly and they were easy to cop up.


Mapeacocks actors teaching pupils fro St Patricks Academy dance

The second game it was ‘’TOMATO SAUCE’’ a game played in a circle as well and you pick the one you love among the circle, this was a kind of tough game to them because scanning the mind of the kids they were thinking if a boy chooses a girl their friend would laugh at them thinking that they are….. You know kids staff but as they were going with the game they were in the lane and they loved playing it with a little bit of a shy face. Then it came the moment where the kids could recall you back when you were good at humanities and languages, but when it came to Mathematics you always land on tough time and on 4^th April 2017 you could put yourself in those cute kids. By the time the Mathematics teacher walks in the class room and say

‘’the English teacher is not coming today so I will double his periods and then will go for a short break and then will come to my period’’, eish!!!! Was the only word you could hear coming from the pupils who were not Math lovers no wonder they were getting shoes sizes (32,) (36)… And telephone operators line codes (01%), (02%), (08%) and (09). When the Mathematics game was introduced to them the kids were like eish!! The kids thought they will be given a Mathematical test or something but it was a game of adding numbers using the body, ‘’how is it possible’’? That was the question they asked one another but after seeing the demo the kids were surprised and they loved to learn it and the brighter wises were able to predict the next move, 4+4= 8 writing the 8 using the body it was the funniest part of all. Arithmetic a subject which most people wished it wasn’t in their syllabus you could feel the pain the kids had when they held of Math.

More dance practice with the kids

After having fun with the games the kids were privileged to watch a Zimbabwean dance by Solomonic Peacocks, a dance which is performed during farming season, and the kids loved the dance and they wanted to learn it and an opportunity to learn the dance was given to them. They were split in two groups and they were helped by the Peacocks. To my surprise these kids picked the moves easily and I can call them fast learners.

At the end of all the kids watched an amazing performance from Solomonic, they staged a play in titled ‘’ THE RYTHM’’ a short play written by Bright Makina and Directed by Mc Arthur Matukuta, the play talks of a young girl who was mocked by her friends on her dancing career and physical appearance she was inspired by one of the performance she once watched by Shikala dancing group.

Children enjoying the Performance by Mapeacocks

She was encouraged by her uncle that she can be what she wanted to be and her career was the best selection and after hearing the inspiring words from her uncle she was happy and she had the courage that she can do it after having a role model in the house her uncle who was the best village dancer in the way back, as lucky was on her side she helped the group leader of Shikala who dropped the ATM Card on the road and she was given a business card and she was asked to call the group leader and have more talk of her dancing career, her friends were surprised to see Regina the girl they used to mock wearing the Shikala dancing group costume, they couldn’t believe she had joined the group as things got eviler-worse Shikala dancers were given a scholarship and to tour in Europe and Regina was given a special scholarship to study dancing in The United States of America. Her friends judged the book by its cover.

Last Dance

 the kids were a wonderful audience and they loved the play and it encouraged them that they can be what they want to be in life without any mockery words from anybody. Theatre for children is one of the best and marketable theatre in other countries, Solomonic Peacocks Theatre has started a step forward in promoting Theatre for Children in Malawi, thanks to our partners Jacaranda Cultural Centre for bringing St Patricks’ Academy kids.