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2 hours ago
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Two stories are entwined in Tatenda Naomi Matsvai’s new play, which is rooted in the natural world. The first is a folk tale, read downstage by schoolgirl Bettie, about Paida Moyo, who protects her Zimbabwean kingdom from “cutlass-carrying men” and rescues an injured lioness. The second is Bettie’s own nocturnal adventure, accompanied by Paida Moyo, to save a cherished oak tree from being felled as part of the villainous local council’s plans for a new car park.
The former story is delivered with the headlong rush of an avid reader and risks running away from the young audience (it’s aimed at children aged three to eight). The latter, which forms the bulk of the show, has a more halting pace as the derring-do is interspersed with bits of wisdom.
Matsvai showed a flair for evocative, poetic writing in their superb play for teenagers, Hot Orange, co-written with Amal Khalidi. Brave Bettie soars when extolling the wonders of the woodland where the escapade unfolds. The power of nature’s ancient and mysterious webs of connection, partly conveyed through music and discovered through a child’s eyes, has shades of My Neighbour Totoro, especially when Bettie magically passes inside the old oak. With the play’s impassioned message of activism and respect for wildlife, Bettie also becomes a latter-day Lorax, speaking for the trees.
Abena Adoma, genial as the ancestral guide Paida Moyo, engages the audience from the off. Adoma leads an introduction to the Shona language and a rain-dance ritual against the twinkling green bulbs of a forest lit by Emily Walls, whose design is otherwise a little subdued, even for a night-time adventure. Joanna Nsianguana’s Bettie veers between dread and determination, discovering that her new companion is not quite as fearless as the storybook suggested. The pair come to each other’s rescue in a tale of friendship, not just between these two but with the animals who sometimes literally pop up in Bolu Dairo’s set design.
A couple of laborious scene changes further slow the pace of a journey that frequently pauses to offer up lessons – whether in recycling, nesting or the soothing qualities of dock leaves. If Abigail Kelly’s production for Half Moon and Z-arts sometimes lacks dynamism, particularly as the duo try to navigate a path through the forest, it is attuned to the smells, tastes and rhythms of nature, boosted by Axel Kacoutié’s music and sound effects. There is also a keen sense of mythology that is as embedded in the tale as the ancient tree. It’s theatre to widen your horizons, best followed up with a wander in your nearest green space.
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Touring until 15 March
