MALINDADZIMU: REVIEWS ROUND-UP
Posted on 28 September 2021.
Posted in: Theatre Reviews
★★★★ 'A delicate, confident production that leaves you thinking: about heritage, about family, and about the authentic, exciting stories that are finally making their way to the stage.' Broadway World
★★★★ 'A thought-provoking and poignant exploration of belonging' The Upcoming
★★★★ 'A beautiful, refreshing and dynamic family drama' Afridiziak
'A poignant quest to confront Africa’s past, with charm and camaraderie at its heart' Guardian
‘A promising family drama, with excellent performances’ The Times
★★★★
BWW Review: MALINDADZIMU, Hampstead Theatre
Katie Kirkpatrick, Broadway World
'In Malindadzimu, award-winning new playwright Mufaro Makubika humanises the headlines, leading us from Nottingham to Zimbabwe in a tale of mothers, daughters and spiritual ancestors. Premiering at Hampstead Theatre, the play is an exciting showcase of new talent: both director Monique Touko and actress Kudzai Mangombe make their professional debuts.'
'...the scope and intensity of Makubika's writing is outstanding.'
'Director Monique Touko makes an impressively polished professional debut... without a doubt one to watch.'
'Malindadzimu is a delicate, confident production that leaves you thinking: about heritage, about family, and about the authentic, exciting stories that are finally making their way to the stage. The play puts Black voices front and centre and allows new talent to step into the spotlight.'
★★★★
MALINDADZIMU AT HAMPSTEAD THEATRE
ABBIE GRUNDY, THE UPCOMING
'Malindadzimu takes its audience on a journey from a quiet hospital room in Nottingham to a vast farmland in Zimbabwe, where mother and daughter attempt to untangle their knotted relationship in a world that feels both familiar and alien.'
'A tense and emotionally fraught exploration of cultural roots, spirituality, and how the future and the past are much more intertwined than one is led to believe.'
'A thought-provoking and poignant exploration of belonging.'
★★★★
Malindadzimu – review
Natalie Murray, Afridiziak Theatre News
'From an intimate, laughter-filled mother and daughter story set in Zimbabwe, playwright Mufaro Makubika takes a much broader look at belonging, and colonisation in Malindadzimu, his first commission for Hampstead Theatre.'
'With his play, Makubika, balances entertainment alongside serious issues such as mental health, how the black community in the UK relates to its heritage, and colonialism and its impact... The question of where is truly home for black Britons hangs over the entire play and what we lose emotionally and spiritually through the distance to our ancestral homelands.'
'Malindadzimu was a dynamic family drama with many light-hearted moments. I was immediately drawn into the lives of the characters and I was left with a beautiful reminder to stay close to your ancestors, remember your history and remember what we’ve lost.'
Malindadzimu now plays Downstairs until 25 September.
