Enter the world of our ancestors, where spirits roam free and tricksters abound. The stunning Zimbabwean performer and Mbira musician, John Pfumojena, takes us from the Cube to the very heart of Africa.

In Shona culture, animal stories are for grown-ups. But don’t be deceived by the claws, paws and fluffy ears - like Tom & Jerry gone off-piste, these stories reflect of humanity at its worst, its best, its surest, and at its most confused. Filled with charlatans and tricksters, heroes and villains, we follow the epic adventures of hare and baboon, tortoise and the birds, and other beings. We witness their struggles and triumphs, their bravery and cunning, and their ultimate victories over the forces of evil. Set in that ancient time before time, when the world was young and full of wonder, these stories brim with play, power and wisdom. Let the driving rhythms of the Mbira lure you down a very special rabbit hole...

JOHN PFUMOJENA is a Zimbabwean composer, performer and musician. He has composed a range of music for multi-award-winning plays including The Jungle by Good Chance Theatre, Doctor Faustus and Volpone by Tangle Theatre Company. He played the iconic role of Peter Pan in the National Theatre’s Peter Pan and has worked in productions at the Young Vic, the Old Vic, Shakespeare’s Globe, St Annes Warehouse (NYC), the Playhouse West End, and The Curran in San Francisco, amongst others. His Discography includes the collaborative album Sounds Of Refuge with Sudanese musician Mohamed Sarrar and as co-writer and performer on Sunny Jain’s album Phoenix Rise.

SUITABLE: adults 14+
RUNNING TIME: 60mins
DOORS: 7.30pm STARTS: 8pm
CONTENT WARNING: This performance contains descriptions of sex, threat, and death contextualised within a paradigm of mythic narrative, archetype and metaphor.

Photo by Ian Wallman