This volume uniquely draws together seven contemporary plays by a
selection of the finest African women writers and practitioners from
across the continent, offering a rich and diverse portrait of identity,
politics, culture, gender issues and society in contemporary Africa.
Niqabi Ninja by Sara Shaarawi (Egypt) is set in Cairo during the
chaotic time of the Egyptian uprising.
Not That Woman by Tosin Jobi-Tume (Nigeria) addresses issues of
violence against women in Nigeria and its attendant conspiracy of
silence. The play advocates zero-tolerance for violence against women
and urges women to bury shame and speak out rather than suffer in
silence.
I Want To Fly by Thembelihle Moyo (Zimbabwe) tells the story of an
African girl who wants to be a pilot. It looks at how patriarchal
society shapes the thinking of men regarding lobola (bride price), how
women endure abusive men and the role society at large plays in these
issues.
Silent Voices by Adong Judith (Uganda) is a one-act play based on
interviews with people involved in the LRA and the effects of the civil
war in Uganda. It critiques this, and by implication, other truth
commissions.
Unsettled by JC Niala (Kenya) deals with gender violence, land
issues and relations of both black and white Kenyans living in, and
returning to, the country.
Mbuzeni by Koleka Putuma (South Africa) is a story of four female
orphans, aged eight to twelve, their sisterhood and their fixation with
death and burials. It explores the unseen force that governs and
dictates the laws that the villagers live by.
Bonganyi by Sophia Kwachuh Mempuh (Cameroon) depicts the effects
of colonialism as told through the story of a slave girl: a singer and
dancer, who wants to win a competition to free her family.
Each play also includes a biography of the playwright, the writer's own
artistic statement, a production history of the play and a critical
contextualisation of the theatrical landscape from which each woman is
writing.
