The Sunday Mail
Takudzwa Chihambakwe
AFTER debuting at Hifa 2017 with sold out shows, “The Rich List” returns for another run at Reps Theatre from September 28 to 30.
At Hifa, although the auditorium was packed, the play was received with mixed feelings from those that watched it, with many failing to get the gist of the story. The good news is – the director and writer, Elinor Kennedy, of Zimbeli Productions, went back to the drawing board and polished up her act.
“‘The Rich List’ is back, shorter and more refined,” said Kennedy triumphantly.
“For Hifa 2017 we only had two weeks to rehearse the play. I had just returned from New Zealand and was suffering from a 12-hour change of time that meant day was night and vice-versa.
“We had no director and I was thrust into directing, producing and doing all kinds of stuff. Fortunately, the cast is not only a professional group who know how to concentrate their efforts and produce a spectacle, they are also very supportive people. This enabled the production to take place in such a short time,” explained Kennedy.
She said for this refined rerun, they had ample time to rehearse and perfect their act.
“We have had the time and space to rehearse and refine this new production, which now sees the play split into two sections. ‘The Rich List’, which was showcased at Hifa is now the first part of a two-act play, followed by a brand new part entitled ‘Money go round’,” she said.
Kennedy added that since a lot has happened in Zimbabwe since Hifa, they have also tried to incorporate fresh current affairs into the comedy play. There are not any major changes to the cast save for the addition of Kuda Muchecha.
“The cast is still headed by Privillage Netsai Mutendera known for her commanding role in ‘When Angels Weep’. Mutendera shows her versatility as an actress playing the comic role of an older woman.
Her supporting actor, Eddie Hatitongwe, who was recently in ZBC soap ‘Muchaneta’, maintains his dual roles of playing both male and female parts.
Brighton Ndlovu, who was also in the original cast, is still in the play alongside newcomer to the stage, Kuda Muchecha.
She also spoke about their decision to stick to Reps Theatre Upstairs instead of moving to the bigger main auditorium.
“The venue is the same. We like the Reps Theatre Upstairs because we like to perform theatre in a classical but intimate way with sound effects and lighting and costume changes. We do theatre better in that environment.”
“The Rich List” is a story that revolves around Mrs Mupasa in her upmarket Borrowdale Brooke residence where she lives with her maid Emotion.
A lot of the plot comes from the pages of the daily newspapers in Zimbabwe.
Into this cosy suburban life comes a dashing young man from West Africa, offering to buy Mrs Mupasa’s Mercedes. Mrs Mupasa immediately takes up the offer. However, selling a car is not as easy as she imagined. Nevertheless, she bounces back in act two of the play, “Money go round”, to meet a new challenge brought about by a love child of her late husband.
