WE NEED NEW NAMES
WE NEED NEW NAMES
BY MUFARO MAKUBIKA
BY MUFARO MAKUBIKA
DIRECTION (APRIL—JUNE 2023)
Paradise. Home of 10-year-old Darling and her friends: four children on the edge of innocence. A playground overflowing with mischief and games where they imagine countries a luxurious life away from theirs in Mugabe's Zimbabwe.
But when Darling moves to Michigan, the western world she encounters as a teenager is far from the American utopia of her dreams...
Based on the novel by the first Black African woman and first Zimbabwean to be Booker Prize-shortlisted, this defiant coming-of-age story is full of exuberance, humour and humanity.
A FIFTH WORD THEATRE and NEW PERSPECTIVES THEATRE co-production in association with BRIXTON HOUSE THEATRE.
CAST + CREATIVES
MUNASHE CHIRISA, ANASHE DANAI, PRINCESS KHUMALO, TATENDA MADEMOMBE, LUKWESA MWAMBA + KALUNGI SSEBANDEKE
Adapted for the stage by MUFARO MAKUBIKA
Director MONIQUE TOUKO
Assistant Director JORDI M. CARTER
Movement Director RICARDO DA SILVA
Set & Costume Designer INGRID HU
Lighting Designer ADAM KING
Composer TENDAI HUMPHREY SITIMA
Sound Designer ED LEWIS
Stage Manager ALYSSA WATTS
Production Manager ALISON WILLCOX
★★★★ “The range of acting by the brilliant cast took me through such a range of emotions that this play will certainly be one I won’t forget in a hurry!” — Afridiziak
★★★★★ “Humorous and horrifying in equal measure, the show was a thoroughly engaging experience from start to finish.” — LondonTheatre1
★★★★ “Director Monique Touko keeps the tone lively with this tough story of Mugabe’s Zimbabwe in which the actors switch race, age and gender with ease.” — The Guardian
★★★★ “a powerful exploration of the migrant tale through the lens of a child. It’s a note-worthy coming of age story that touches on politics, racism and mental health in a sincere and authentic way.” — The Rendition
★★★★ “a wonderful look at the idea of belonging and is equally as heart-breaking as it is uplifting.” — All That Dazzles
★★★★ “a powerful theatrical experience.” — Salterton Arts Review