B-Metro
Langalakhe Mabena
Bulawayo’s new comedy fest KwaNtuthu Comedy Festival will donate 10 percent of all their ticket sales to Island Hospice Bulawayo as a way of giving back to the community and practicing social responsibility.
The festival is set to run from October 27 to 29 under the theme “This is For You”.
Island Hospice and Healthcare is a centre of excellence, which provides quality palliative care services and support to those with life threatening illnesses and the bereaved through comprehensive direct care, capacity development, partnerships, research and advocacy.
The donation to the facility is done to support Island Hospice to deliver their much-needed palliative services to those who require them.
KwaNtuthu Comedy Festival will also be supporting Island Hospice’s fund-raising initiative in October called Hats On through awareness, advocacy and advertising.
As a way of giving back to Mzilikazi, a community where the director of the festival Dumisani MaForty Ndlovu grew up, a talent search initiative to discover stand- up comedians called Are you Funny Bulawayo, which will feature at the main festival, will be held on 29 October.
The talent search event is aimed at giving young aspiring comedians a chance to make a breakthrough and will be held at Mzilikazi Youth Centre by creative artiste Lights Out.
The winner will be the opening act at Intwasa Arts Festival KoBulawayo’s Comedy Night in December, on a paid performance.
Meanwhile, the inaugural KwaNtuthu Comedy Festival has unveiled a star-studded line-up of performers from across the continent who will perform at the festival.
On day one (27 October), an opening show by MaForty, will be held at the Zimbabwe Music Academy and it will feature stand-up comedians and poets including Gabbi (Zambia), Tanya Alex (Harare), Chesta (Bulawayo), Charlie (Botswana), Mbongeni (Bulawayo) and Ntando Van Moyo (Bulawayo).
On the following day, there will be a combination of stand-up comedy and theatre productions.
The show will have a 45-minute-long one-man theatre production by Jasen Mphepo, a 10-minute-high school drama by Dominican Convent High School Bulawayo, and a five-minute stand-up comedy performance by newcomer Tapiwa — a high school student from Petra High School.
On the final day, during the day, there will be a search for a new crop of comedians (Are you Funny Bulawayo). The free event will be held at Mzilikazi Youth Centre and no registration fee is required.
In the evening, a show named Roast of Africa will be held at Zimbabwe Music Academy.
The show will have a roast master in the form of Babongile Sikhonjwa. Other acts are TT Pasha (South Africa), Masapo (Lesotho), Bambino (Botswana), Mdura (Swaziland) and Chingliz (Zambia).
