MORWA the Rising Son goes to Germany

(A Theatre performance by Tefo Paya, featuring Thabang Molefe directed by Warren Nebe)

Performance Dates: Stuttgart Germany 13th and 14th May 2022

Botswana Schools Tour April and May 2022

Morwa The Rising Son, is a story about ‘Morwa’ a Young Motswana on his journey of discovering what it means to be a man. ‘Morwa’ is a Setswana word meaning son or the male child. The play is based on personal narrative and looks to evoke dialogue around the challenges faced by adolescent boys in Botswana. The play looks to get the youth talking about issues of identity, adolescence and growing up as a teenager in Botswana. This play is relevant to all teenagers, girls and boys, because it unpacks what happens when a child transitions from pre-teens to adult-hood. The play tackles difficult issues of puberty, sex, abuse, violence and trauma. It tackles these issues through Morwa’s story, which is filled with lots of humor, sadness, love, pain and overall the challenges of growing up. By experiencing a play like Morwa, audiences are able to get an intimate understanding of the complex issues the youth are dealing with. This then allows for open and honest dialogue, where the youth is encouraged to open up and share their challenges. This dialogue is important in helping to find solutions. Solutions to the problems faced by the youth of Botswana.

The play was created in 2013 and has been performed in Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. On the 13th and 14th of May 2022 it will be presented at the Schöne Aussicht (Bright View) Festival in Stuttgart, Germany. This will be the first time the play will be performed in Europe and the first play from Botswana to feature at the Festival. The play has been adapted to be more relevant to today’s youth. The language used, choice of dance and poetry are some of the elements that have been adapted. The design of the play has also evolved, the aesthetic is reflective of the world that Young Batswana live within.

To coincide with the play being taken to Germany in May, it was decided to take the play to Students across Botswana (aged 15 to 19). In order to achieve this, we have asked for assistance from the public. Tickets for the show are priced at P80 per student and will be sold as ‘Sponsor a Student’ tickets. The sales from these tickets will cover show costs, logistics, food and accommodation. For us to stage one show, we need to sell a minimum of 60 tickets. We intend to raise enough funds to stage multiple shows in order to reach more students across the country.

For this project to be possible we will be working in partnership with the Botswana Schools Drama Association or better known as BOSSDA. They are a recognised association under the Ministry of Basic Education. BOSSDA is made up of teachers who run drama groups within government schools, from Primary through to Senior Secondary. They will be helping us by facilitating access to students and schools across the country. After each performance there will be a dialogue around the issues raised by the play and the technical aspects of the play. Making the whole experience a great learning opportunity for the students and their teachers.

With the funds raised through ticket sales we will be able to take the play to the students. The shows will happen in the mornings or afternoons, and depending on ticket sales we can do shows for schools in Gaborone and beyond. Our plan is to raise enough funds to do a minimum of 10 performances around the country. Performances will happen throughout April and May 2022.