Best of Zabalaza 2017 Winner, BOY NTULIKAZI, Comes to the Baxter

The Baxter's Best of Zabalaza 2017 winner, BOY NTULIKAZI, will be staged for a limited season at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio this May. The one-hander is written by Thobani Nzuza and Kagiso Tsimakwane and was originally directed by Kagiso Tsimakwane. Nzuza himself has taken over the directorial duties in addition to performing the piece, which is further enhanced by the accompaniment of live music created by Nhlanhla Zondi.

Ubuntu and care for the well-being of future generations are at the heart of BOY NTULIKAZI. While living with her parents in extreme hardship and poverty, a 14-year-old girl falls pregnant and decides to leave her home, fearing that her family will not accept her child. She gives birth to a healthy baby boy. Scared, agitated and naïve, she has no one to turn to, so she goes to the nearby river and places the baby on a rock at the river bank, hoping that the strong winds of Ntulikazi - the isiZulu word for July - will push the baby into the river. She leaves the baby on the rock and walks away. Years later, the child has become a young man, questioning his own identity in an effort to understand, so he sets out in search of his mother, but with devastating consequences.

BOY NTULIKAZI aims to examine the far-reaching implications of decisions taken by individuals and the possibly devastating impact those decisions can have on future generations in a powerful manner. Indiscretions and the difficult decisions of parents are pivotal themes in this story of young man's journey to find his biological mother. These themes are common in South Africa today and the production hopes to give voice to people forced into the kinds of silences that keep so many destructive cycles happening over and over again.

BOY NTULIKAZI was originally performed at the Isigcawu Festival in Durban where Nzuza received the Best Actor award, followed by the Imbewu Festival, the Durban University of Technology New Playwrights' Festival, the Uhuru Festival, the 2016 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and, most recently, at the Joburg Theatre. When the production appeared at the seventh Zabalaza Theatre Festival, which was held in March and showcased some 50 productions, the piece took home the top prize, receiving a full run and the opportunity to connect with a wider audience. BOY NTULIKAZI is the first Best of Zabalaza winner from KwaZulu-Natal. Nzuza, also received the Best Actor award, comments on the play's success:

I am really very happy that my work will be seen by a new and different audience. My main aim of coming to the Zabalaza Theatre Festival was to share my story and to learn from others, not expecting to win two awards. I also never really thought that at this age I will be a published playwright. It's an honour and I am thankful to the Baxter and Zabalaza. To have a full season of the play was always a dream of mine and this has now come true. What is most surprising, is this has been achieved in a different province, far away from home.

Nzuza, who is 24 years old, was born in uMlazi Township. In 2010, he started his training as a dancer, singer and actor at the local Buhle Bo uMlazi Community Arts Centre. Next month, while performing his production of BOY NTULIKAZI at the Baxter, he will graduate with his National Diploma in Drama and Production Studies from the Durban University of Technology, where he has performed in many productions. In 2014, he wrote and directed the play SHINTSHA GULUVA for the Isigcawu Festival and received the Best Director award. The following year, he performed in Menzi Mkhwane's SECRET VALLEY OF THE GREAT KINGS and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at Durban Mercury Theatre Awards. In 2016, Nzuza was one of the students who represented Africa at the Shakespeare Festival in Germany, performing in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, directed by Debbie Lutge.

The Best of Zabalaza award has established a tradition of bringing cutting-edge community theatre productions - which by their nature feature straightfoward narratives that are layered with complex thematic threads - to a wider audience. BOY NTULIKAZI joins the ranks of previous Best of Zabalaza winners such as Lauren Hannie's TIP-EX (2016), Paul Noko's FRUIT (2015), Khayalethu Anthony's THE CHAMPION (2014), Phillip Dikotla's SKIERLIK (2013), Bulelani Mabutyana's WORST OF BOTH WORLDS (2012) and Loysio Damoyi's UHLAZO (2011). The Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival has produced many success stories and it has given rise to great young stars that have graced the world's stages in a short period, gathering accolades along the way. Many other artists have become recognised and have managed to carve careers for themselves in the arts, both locally and abroad.

BOY NTULIKAZI previews on 3 May, opens on 4 May and runs until 13 May at 20:00 nightly, with matinees on Saturdays at 14:30. Tickets are R85 and booking is online through Computicket, by phone on 0861 915 8000 or in person at any Shoprite Checkers outlet.