Playing against Violence: A Case Study of Popular Theatre in Zimbabwe

Abstract

African popular theatre has emerged as an alternative strategy through which the oppressed can discard the culture of silence and assert their desire for peace, justice and freedom. Taking cognisance of the belief that violence only begets violence, such theatre employs meta-communicative devices, like play, as non-violent means of protest against forces that have militated against the people's welfare. This article uses the case study of a popular theatre performance carried out in Zimbabwe to explore how the culture of violence has become a cyclical phenomenon that began with colonialism and extended through the time of the liberation struggle to the post-colonial period. The article focuses on how the cycle of violence can be understood in order to chart the way forward for peacebuilding and development in Africa.