HAMPSTEAD DOWNSTAIRS / CELIA ATKIN PRESENT

MALINDADZIMU

By Mufaro Makubika
Directed by Monique Touko

Running time: 1 hour and 30 minutes without an interval

Have you ever felt, like, lost. And then something pulls you, finds you, calls you. Like it’s been looking for you? Only you alone

Downstairs

2 - 23 Oct 2021

Box Office: 020 7722 9301

Details

★★★★ '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 dramaAfridiziak

'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


For Faith and her teenage daughter Hope, it seems as though growing up inevitably means growing apart. So Faith makes the drastic decision to move the family back to her native Zimbabwe to start over. It’s home for her but not for Hope – at least, not on the surface... Will the powers that have drawn them back to their roots help them find each other - and themselves?

Mufaro Makubika’s new play - delicate, witty and epic in equal measure - travels from Nottingham to Zimbabwe to explore a mother and daughter’s search for belonging, their struggle with a multicultural heritage, and a haunting history that cannot be ignored.

Malindadzimu is Makubika’s second play following his critically acclaimed Shebeen (Nottingham Playhouse/Theatre Royal Stratford East), which won the 2017 Alfred Fagon Award for Best New Play. Monique Touko makes her professional directing debut.

The cast includes Shyko Amos (An Octoroon, Soho Rep New York), Sifiso Mazibuko (Hamilton, West End), Tendai Humphrey Sitima (The Great Gatsby, Immersive LDN), Natasha Williams (Off the Endz, Royal Court) and Kudzai Mangombe.

Malindadzimu is a T.S. Eliot Foundation commission.


Our promise to you

In the event of Malindadzimu being postponed, you can choose between a full refund or credit to be used for any show at Hampstead.

As always, our audience, company and staff are our top priority. In the interest of everyone’s safety and comfort, Malindadzimu will be socially distanced with reduced seating capacity throughout its entire run. The show will remain this way, as originally sold.

For more information please click here


We present entertaining and original theatre, and we want you to have the best experience possible. We understand that, as part of this, some audience members may appreciate additional guidance on the content of our plays. Click here for more information.


 See it safely logo small H2

Twitter Banner9

 

Reviews
  • 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.'

    READ FULL REVIEW

    BWW Review: MALINDADZIMU, Hampstead Theatre
    ,
  • 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.' 

    READ FULL REVIEW

    Malindadzimu at Hampstead Theatre
    ,
  • 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, Makubikabalances 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.'

    READ FULL REVIEW

    Malindadzimu – review
    ,
Cast

Artistic team

WRITER

MUFARO MAKUBIKA

DIRECTOR

MONIQUE TOUKO

DESIGNER

ZOË HURWITZ

LIGHTING

MATT HASKINS

SOUND

MAX PAPPENHEIM

FIGHT

MAISIE CARTER

DIALECT

JOEL TRILL

Cast

News

MALINDADZIMU: REVIEWS ROUND-UP

Posted on 28 September 2021

See what reviewers have been saying about Mufaro Makubika's 'poignant' and 'beautiful' play Malindadzimu...

CAST ANNOUNCED FOR MALINDADZIMU

Posted on 11 August 2021

Shyko Amos, Kudzai Mangombe, Sifiso Mazibuko, Tendai Humphrey Sitima and Natasha Williams will star in Mufaro Makubika’s new play Malindadzimu, directed by Monique Touko.

THE MEMORY OF WATER AND MALINDADZIMU ANNOUNCED

Posted on 22 July 2021

Hampstead Theatre announces two new shows for Autumn 2021: Shelagh Stephenson's The Memory of Water, directed by Alice Hamilton, on the Main Stage and the World Premiere of Malindadzimu, directed by Monique Touko, Downstairs.

Tickets

First five performances: All tickets £5
Performances thereafter: £20
Seniors*: £10 (matinee only)
Under 30s and Students: £10
Access: £6

*Ages 60+

Video and Image Gallery

KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE), TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA (SPIRIT MEDIUM/DOCTOR/LABOURER) & SHYKO AMOS (FAITH) By Robert Day KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE), TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA (SPIRIT MEDIUM/DOCTOR/LABOURER) & SHYKO AMOS (FAITH)By Robert Day
NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO), KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) & SHYKO AMOS (FAITH) Photo by Chiara Wakely NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO), KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) & SHYKO AMOS (FAITH)Photo by Chiara Wakely
MUFARO MAKUBIKA (WRITER) Photo by Chiara Wakely MUFARO MAKUBIKA (WRITER)Photo by Chiara Wakely
SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA/FOREMAN) & TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA (SPIRIT MEDIUM/DOCTOR/LABOURER) Photo by Chiara Wakely SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA/FOREMAN) & TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA (SPIRIT MEDIUM/DOCTOR/LABOURER)Photo by Chiara Wakely
MONIQUE TOUKO (DIRECTOR) Photo by Chiara Wakely MONIQUE TOUKO (DIRECTOR)Photo by Chiara Wakely
NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO) Photo by Chiara Wakely NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO)Photo by Chiara Wakely
KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) & SHYKO AMOS (FAITH) Photo by Tendai Humphrey Sitima KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) & SHYKO AMOS (FAITH)Photo by Tendai Humphrey Sitima
KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) Photo by Tendai Humphrey Sitima KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE)Photo by Tendai Humphrey Sitima
SHYKO AMOS (FAITH) Photo by Chiara Wakely SHYKO AMOS (FAITH)Photo by Chiara Wakely
SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA/FOREMAN) & KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) Photo by Chiara Wakely SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA/FOREMAN) & KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE)Photo by Chiara Wakely
SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA/FOREMAN) Photo by Chiara Wakely SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA/FOREMAN)Photo by Chiara Wakely
SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA/FOREMAN), KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) & TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA (MEDIUM/DOCTOR/LABOURER) Photo by Chiara Wakely SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA/FOREMAN), KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) & TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA (MEDIUM/DOCTOR/LABOURER)Photo by Chiara Wakely
NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO) Photo by Chiara Wakely NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO)Photo by Chiara Wakely
KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) & NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO) Photo by Robert Day KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) & NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO)Photo by Robert Day
KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) By Robert Day KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE)By Robert Day
SHYKO AMOS (FAITH) By Robert Day SHYKO AMOS (FAITH)By Robert Day
SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA) SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA)
TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA (SPIRIT MEDIUM) TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA (SPIRIT MEDIUM)
NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO) AND KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO) AND KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE)
TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA (DOCTOR) AND KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA (DOCTOR) AND KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE)
SHYKO AMOS (FAITH), NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO), KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) AND TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA (SPIRIT MEDIUM) SHYKO AMOS (FAITH), NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO), KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) AND TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA (SPIRIT MEDIUM)
SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA) SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA)
KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE), SHYKO AMOS (FAITH) AND SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA) KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE), SHYKO AMOS (FAITH) AND SIFISO MAZIBUKO (LOBENGULA)
SHYKO AMOS (FAITH), NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO) & KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE) Photo by Robert Day SHYKO AMOS (FAITH), NATASHA WILLIAMS (GOGO) & KUDZAI MANGOMBE (HOPE)Photo by Robert Day

KEEPING YOU SAFE AT HAMPSTEAD

1 Social Distanced 1

RESPECT PERSONAL SPACE

2 MASKS REQUIRED 1

FACE MASKS ENCOURAGED

4 STATE OF THE ART VENTILATION 1

STATE OF THE ART VENTILATION

5 ENHANCED CLEANING 1

ENHANCED CLEANING

7 CONTACTLESS TICKETS 1

CONTACTLESS TICKETS

8 HAND SANITIZING STATIONS 2

HAND SANITISING STATIONS

9 CASHLESS PAYMENT 1

CASHLESS PAYMENT