ASTRONAUTUS AFRIKANUS

An immersive, site-specific work presented by The Rhodes Drama Department and devised by the cast under the direction of guest director Mwenya B. Kabwe in collaboration with Lieketso wa Thaluki and Illka Louw.

This immersive work uses the source story of a rather colourful character in Zambian history named Edward Mukuka Nkoloso who in the  mid 1960’s was convinced that Zambia was going to beat the Russians and Americans to space.  So much so that he started a Zambian space programme a year before Zambia’s independence from Britain in 1964, and started to train a group of young people to be his Afronauts. Inspired by this story this production is an immersive work that invites the audience to discover the nooks and crannies of the Rhodes Main Theatre.

Astronautus Afrikanus celebrates imagination, invention, intellectual and creative freedom and indigenous African Knowledge systems.  It is an ode to African thinkers, philosophers, pavement intellectuals and poets whose genius is undervalued, unrecognized and even ridiculed. The audience is invited to celebrate exploration and discovery by creating their own journey through a working space station.  They are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and bring their spirit of 
adventure! 

• Astronautus Afrikanus features the work of a fabulous group of 
  creatives intellectuals:
  
  Jake Nathane
  Nani Sihlali
  Justine  Pickering
  Mmatumisang Motisi
  Ciko Sidzumo
  Danielle O’Niel
  Georgina Makhubele
  Phelokazi Mbude
  Danielle Van Der Merve
  Carla  Franco
  Molopo Lipali
  Tiisetso Mashifane
  Gregory Peatfield