Africa Voices Now Festival Brings New Zimbabwean Plays to Harare
Almasi Collaborative Arts has announced the launch of Africa Voices Now! A Festival of New African Plays, a three-week theatre event that will premiere original works by Zimbabwean writers at the Jasen Mphepo Little Theatre in Harare.
Running from 18 October to 7 November 2025, the festival marks a new chapter for the organisation, which has spent more than a decade training Zimbabwean artists with the support of leading American theatre professionals.
The inaugural edition will stage three new plays, “Can We Talk?” by Batsirai Chigama, “These Humans Are Sick” by Tatenda Mutyambizi, and “The Return” by Rudo Mutangadura.
Each work has been developed through Almasi’s intensive programmes that combine mentorship, rewrites, and training led by globally recognised directors, actors, and playwrights.
International collaboration
The project builds on Almasi’s long-running collaboration with The Public Theater in New York, known for productions such as “Hamilton”. Under this partnership, at least one of the featured plays will be selected for further development and the possibility of being performed in the United States.
Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage mentored the festival’s writers during a residency, while Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater, led an earlier phase of the process.
Actors and directors involved in the productions also trained under Tony Award-winning director Emily Mann and Broadway actor Peter Francis James.
Danai Gurira, the Executive Director of Almasi Collaborative Arts, said the event was designed to position African theatre on the global stage.
“Africa Voices Now! A Festival of New African Plays is more than a showcase. It’s a launchpad for rising African talent,” said Gurira.
“We are dedicated to transforming lives and building careers by giving our artists the tools and exposure they need to succeed globally,” she said.
The programme will also include guest performances by leading Zimbabwean musicians.
Spotlight on new Zimbabwean plays
“Can We Talk?” by Batsirai Chigama explores family secrets as three sisters confront their past following the death of their elder sibling. Chigama, an award-winning poet and author, has twice won National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) for her collections “Gather the Children” and “or Women Trying To Breathe & Failing”.
“These Humans Are Sick” by Tatenda Mutyambizi follows the story of a young hustler in Harare whose ambition triggers a series of events that test the values of his community. Mutyambizi has previously participated in the Almasi African Playwrights Conference and had his short film selected for the Zimbabwe International Film Festival.
“The Return” by Rudo Mutangadura focuses on two sisters divided by geography, one living in Harare, the other in Birmingham, who reunite after their father’s death to confront old tensions and responsibilities. Mutangadura has been writing for the stage for more than a decade, often focusing on women’s experiences.
Africa Voices Now: Building Zimbabwe’s arts sector
The festival marks the beginning of what Almasi Collaborative Arts describes as its second phase, moving from training to bringing African narratives to a wider global audience.
Founded to nurture professional, globally competitive work by Zimbabwean and African artists, the organisation has trained hundreds of writers, actors, directors, and designers through mentorship, residencies, and international exchanges.
With the launch of Africa Voices Now!, Almasi aims to make the festival an annual event and a key platform for new theatre voices from Zimbabwe and beyond.
