Big names in the country’s stage drama on Monday came together to raise funds for survivors of the Cyclone Freddy and they left patrons in Lilongwe yearning for more with a scintillating performance.

The 10-member cast of Mwanayu ndi Wanu, which was premiered at the Bingu International Convention Centre featured the likes of Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change Michael Usi, popularly known as Manganya in stage theatre, Mafumu Matiki who played the role of the chief’s right hand man, Bon ‘Winiko’ Kalindo, Jeremiah Mwaungulu, Ruth Simika alias Mai a Sikono, Linda Chatha, McBain Mkochi, Margaret Chikwembeya and Enifa Chiwaya alias Nanyoni.

They portrayed a story where gossip and speculation in a community give way to serious family issues in one of the families in the play.

The play is more comic as most of the artists also do comedies. It ends in a comic way where the affected family, played by Usi and Simika, decides to ignore all gossip and speculation which suggests that Usi is not the biological father to their child, Sikono.

All this is woven together by skills born of talent and experience in acting by the actors. The flow of jokes and body language and costumes by the actors and actresses left people in stitches of laughter throughout the performance.

Kalindo played uncle to Simika and he did not disappoint as he came on stage in his gaudy outfit and in attire befitting an uncle who tries all his best to look and act aggressive much to the chagrin of his niece.

Since the event was a Cyclone Freddy survivors’ fundraiser, the play did infuse lines about the cyclone as well. In some scenes, Winiko supposedly comes from a camp where he raised a concern with authorities to consider putting aside a room for couples where they could use for conjugal activities.

Winiko also wonders why the K120 million contribution towards the cyclone response could not just be split among the 20 million people in the country.

Says Kalindo: “This is pure theft and corruption. The mathematics is very clear, let the K20 million be split among the 20 million people and everyone will be happy.”

Usi in an interview later, said that they were happy with the patronage of the event.

He further said there are possibilities of staging the play in other parts of the country.

At the time we went to print, the event had raised K7 million.

A  patron, Christopher Kadawati said a major lesson he had taken from the play was that there is need to use credible information before acting on issues about marital problems.

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