Sunduza moves Injabulo ’s premiere to Dec
PRODUCERS of the Injabulo 2000, Sunduza dance theatre have shifted the premiere of their late 1990s revived production to December after the initial dates were affected by the outbreak of COVID-19. The Injabulo 2000 will now premiere on December 18 at the Bulawayo Theatre.
Produced by the group’s long-serving member, Philip Weiss, the play is centred on a young musician who went job hunting in South African mines. It employs a wide range of dance routines, colourful costumes and masks.
In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style, yesterday, Sunduza dance theatre director Charles Banda said the play would also be screened online.
“We had to shift the dates to December because of the lockdown. However, we are expecting a full house and we will follow all COVID-19 regulations. This will be a one-day show and also those who miss the event can follow it online,” he said.
Banda said Injabulo 2000 was produced as part of their celebration for having been in the arts industry for 35 years.
“This is not a new production for Sunduza, we once performed Injabulo 2000 at Edinburgh Festival and at the Vancouver Children’s Festival in Canada. The production is unique as it displays how the old members did it during their time and then how us, the third generation, roll it out,” he said.
“We will be celebrating our 35th anniversary in the arts industry, so that is the most motivational thing that made us prepare this production. It was done in the 1990s in preparation for the year 2000.”
Banda said they would also do a video shoot for the production, adding that they missed an opportunity to take the play to China due to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus which has killed thousands of people in that country.
“We have created our own Injabulo 2000 as a new third generation of Sunduza. You know our generation, we are taking it to another level flowing with the modern times,” he said.
“We were looking at taking the production outside the country, showcasing it at the children’s Assitej China festival in June, but it did not happen due to the coronavirus.”