The acclaimed ‘crybaby’ from Thembisa is coming to Sankopano

Mwana KuChema is a playwright's story of a child's journey of self-discovery navigating within mysteries of a family's hidden secrets.

Powerful acting by Tshwarelo [the crybaby] as she seeks healing in the play, Mwana KuChema, coming to Alex soon.

Linda waka Shabangu’s critically acclaimed play ‘Mwana KuChema’ (loosely translated to mean: A baby is crying) is coming to rock Sankopano on November 4 as part of a double bill of two plays from Thembisa, the other being Guluva.

The play comes to the Alexandra Theatre Company and Academy stage following a successful debut at two theatre festivals in Thembisa. It is the playwright’s story of a child’s journey of self-discovery that navigates mysteries of a family’s hidden secrets and is a quest to reconnect the child with its genetic history within time or space in the past/present/future.

Tshwarelo [the crybaby] in a journey of self-discovery in the play Mwana KuChema coming to Alex soon.

Written and directed by the talented Shabangu, Mwana KuChema is described as a story about forgiveness and searching for healing in ‘ourselves, in our society, in our communities, and in our homes’ that was first showcased at the Thembisa Theatre Week in February and at two Thembisa Theatre Festivals before it debuted at the famous Kippies stage at the Market Theatre.

Shabangu said the play questions the illnesses of living in a deteriorating environment, how humanity battles to co-exist with their daily lives in the townships and has a strong observation about the broken family structures, self-destruction and parental love or guidance in black communities.

Tshwarelo [the crybaby] hopes to exorcise the ghosts of the many hidden family secrets that haunt her in the play, Mwana KuChema, coming to Alex soon.

“The story takes us on a journey of Tswarelo’s (the baby) heart-wrenching journey of self-destruction, self-discovery and realisation while trying to navigate a way to escape reality with a lot of unanswered questions.

Through its poignant storytelling, Mwana KuChema offers a searing commentary on humanity’s struggle to co-exist within the confines of township life, shedding light on the fractures within family structures, the depths of self-destruction, and the enduring power of parental love and guidance in black communities.