Jacqui to make a little bit of history at the Schoolyard
AFRICAN lady Jacqueline Makhalira will create a little bit of amateur theatrical history in Charleville when she will become the first African native to appear in the latest production, Cypress Avenue from the Shoestring Theatre Company, that opens at the Schoolyard on the last week in February.
This will be Ms Makhalira’s first time on stage in Ireland, but she has done theatre productions when she was a student in her native Malawi, and she is delighted to have the opportunity of being on stage in Charleville, and to be directed by Kevin O’Shea, in what he says will be his final production with the
Shoestring group.
Jacqueline, who has been in Ireland since 2012, first came to Charleville in 2014 before finally settling in Bruree in 2016 with her five-year old daughter, Ebbie. Initially, she found employment in the Nursing Home in Bruree but is now a full time mum to Ebbie, who attends the local National School in the county Limerick village.
She was always interested in the Arts and particularly in drama when she was in High School and was in a production that came fourth in a national schools’ competition in Malawi.
When Kevin O’Shea was looking for an African actor to play the part of a psychiatrist in Cypress Avenue, the play by David Ireland set in Belfast, he enquired from local man Jim Walsh if he knew of any African people in the locality, and Jim immediately supplied Jacqueline’s name. Kevin met her, gave her the script, and she read the part flawlessly and became part of the cast.
“I love the part of the psychiatrist and was drawn to it through its dealing with the mental health issues of the play’s leading actor, and exploring the struggle and suffering he is plagued with, until finally he reaches breaking point on the brink of insanity,” said Jacqueline.
“I love working with the other members of the cast, who have made me feel so welcome, and have been so helpful, and I am having the time of my life,” said Jacqueline.
“I enjoy working with the director, Kevin O’Shea, who has been very patient in directing me, as this is my first adult role in the amateur theatre. It is an honour for me to be part of this wonderful cast, and I thank Kevin for giving me the part, and Jim Walsh who recommended me to him, and also to Breda Lynch, for her assistance,” she said.
On living in Bruree, Jacqueline says she loves living there, where the people there are very friendly and pleasant to talk to, and her daughter Ebbie has integrated very well in the local school. She also finds Charleville a friendly town and has not encountered racism of any kind in her dealings with local people.
Jacqueline explains that Malawi is a landlocked country in southern Africa that got its independence from Britain in 1964, where the English language is taught to school children from the fifth grade up. Prior to that in the lower classes they converse in their own tribal language.
Jacqueline herself is a member of the Lonwe people, which is the second largest ethnic grouping in Malawi after the Chewa tribe.