Actor Sibusiso Mkhize is interrogating what defines African theatre in his show Lerumo Badimong.

The play is set to open on Friday for brief run until Sunday at the Performing Arts Centre of the Free State in Bloemfontein.

Lerumo Badimong is an African story set in the fictional world of Khathi and tells the tale of two deities at war.

The play created and directed by Soweto-born Mkhize premiered last year during the Wits University Centenary Festival. 

Mkhize, who has been involved in various shows like Chilahaebolae, Devel on The Cross, and Unosilimela says he is looking forward to introducing Free State theatre lovers to his creation.

His African story is told through music, dance and dialogue and the production  features a full band.

The cast includes Lee Seboko, Mmangaliso Ngobese, Asanda Ngubane, Minenhle Makhubu, Mpumelelo Bucwa, Thando Madondo, Gift Segopolo, Xabiso Kambi, Zevie Mampofu, Nandi Zulu and Itebogeng Machobane.  

Explaining the gist of the story, Mkhize, who calls himself Ntofontofo, says: “The play deals with the complexity of time as a major theme and explores the relationship that an African society has with time. In the words of Fatima Dike, ‘Africans treat time in a peculiar manner. There is no future.’

“There is only the past and the present because the present is the future of the past. The war is embodied and reflected in the actions of the people on earth. 

“We are all ready to deliver a performance for the Free State people. I am looking forward to see how they will react to the story.” 

Lerumo Badimong started out as a research project with Mkhize, a theatre intellectual looking at the origins of theatre on the African continent.

The more he dug into the subject, the more he got to understand what makes theatre in Africa. 

“As I was doing my research, I came across some information that alluded to the fact that when you think of the origins of theatre in Africa, you must go back to the time of rituals and performances. If you think of ritualistic performances, they are rich in songs and dance,”  says Mkhize.

“There is a lot of chanting and strong artistic kind of presence. but if you look at us as Africans and you can say dance and music defines who we are. While interrogating the idea of what African theatre is, I realised that music and dance is at the heart of it.

“I also looked at the relationship between spiritual and physical theatre. I wanted to understand for instance when things manifest themselves physically or spiritually how does it happens. Since we are spiritual beings like the late Credo Mutwa once explained that we are children of the stars. Stars are energy and are spiritual. We derived who we are from that. We are the manifestation of spiritual happenings.” 

In his mission to understand African theatre, Mkhize further interrogates the relationship that exists between humans and God.

He says he is on a quest to understand how the higher being affects human beings. 

“We have a way of affecting the spiritual world and it also has a way of affecting us. My interrogation is real and it decolonises theatre in Africa.

“To decolonise, you have to come back to the self. If you look at us African people music and dance is part of who we are. Our lives are musical and African theatre is dance,” he says. 

Mkhize, who is also a musician and sound engineer, holds a BA honours degree in dramatic arts from Wits University.

He has performed in numerous theatre productions at the National Children’s Theatre in Joburg. Apart from his impressive theatre profile, Mkhize has appeared in television productions such as Cooking Magic, Soul Buddies, Jozi Streets and was a cast member of the Oscar-winning film Tsotsi.

His recent work was with the Indlulamithi South African Scenarios 2030.

bambalelep@sowetan.co.za