Batsirai Chigama’s ‘Can We Talk?’ Shines at Africa Voices Now! Festival

Award-winning playwright and poet Batsirai Chigama delivered a powerful close to the Almasi Collaborative Arts’ inaugural festival, Africa Voices Now!, with her debut stage play Can We Talk?. The play was the final evening performance on Tuesday, November 4, and left theatre lovers reflecting deeply on communication, family, and buried truths.

The event, held under the guidance of Almasi Collaborative Arts’ Executive Artistic Director Danai Gurira, brought together a mix of African voices in celebration of storytelling, art, and theatre. The evening opened with vibrant performances by a union of female DJs and singer-saxophonist Tina Watyoka, setting the tone for a night rich in creativity and emotion.

Can We Talk? follows the story of three sisters gathered to bury their elder sister, who refuses to be buried. Through flashbacks and emotional revelations, the play uncovers the dark family secret that binds them. “It’s a play about three sisters who have come together because their elder sister is dead and they are trying to bury her, but she is refusing to be buried,” Chigama explained. “They go back in memory to find out what is causing her to refuse burial, and they discover a very grave secret in the process.”

Chigama said the story draws from traditional Shona beliefs, where a spirit refusing burial signifies unresolved pain. “In traditional Shona, if someone refuses to be buried, it means there is something heavy that they are carrying and their spirit is trapped between the physical and spiritual world,” she said.

As the sisters uncover the truth, they learn that their late sister suffered years of abuse from their father, a fact they never knew despite living under the same roof. “The play teaches us that sometimes even if we have eyes, we don’t see, and even if we have ears, we don’t hear,” Chigama reflected. “These sisters lived in the same home, but they never noticed anything was wrong with their sister.”

The production featured a talented cast that included Joanne C. Tenga, Buhlenkosi Chinhara, Munashe Goromonzi, Catherine Douglas, and Nancy Mutize (Nasibo). Their performances brought Chigama’s raw and emotional narrative to life, earning praise from the audience for authenticity and depth.

Chigama, best known for her poetry collections Gather the Children (2018) and For Women Trying to Breathe and Failing (2021), began developing Can We Talk? after attending the Playwrights Conference last year. The play marks her transition from page to stage, using storytelling to confront silence, pain, and the importance of speaking up within families.

She expressed gratitude to Danai Gurira, whose leadership and mentorship played a key role in shaping the festival and its vision. “Danai’s contribution was immense. Her experience and passion for African theatre inspired us all and made this inaugural festival a success,” said Chigama.

Audience members left the theatre with a shared sense of reflection, many noting that the play underscored how communication remains the foundation of healing in families. Can We Talk? was more than just a performance; it was a call for dialogue, understanding, and truth-telling in Zimbabwean homes.

Through its haunting storyline and emotional honesty, Chigama’s debut has cemented her as a fresh and fearless voice in Zimbabwean theatre, proving that powerful stories can heal, challenge, and transform.