Mqambi weNyembezi Vuka, Theatre
Venue: Rehearsal Room, Monument building
Next performance: July 03, 2025 12:00 – 12:45
Preview
By Zoliswa Mdawini
‘Ulwaluko’ is a traditional rite of passage that marks the transition from boyhood to manhood in isiXhosa culture. As part of this sacred process, boys undergo circumcision and spend time in isolation in the mountains where they are taught about the responsibilities of manhood and the customs and traditions of their culture and their respective tribe. This process prepares them for their future as men and enables them to be recognized and respected as men, among other men within their community, even women.
Ulwaluko is like where a child learns to walk each day, guided, step by step, by a parent. But what happens when that parent, especially the father, is not there to guide the boy through such a critical moment of their life and an intricate stage of their growth?
This is precisely what ‘Mqambi weNyembezi Vuka’ explores. A moving and honest portrayal of how growing up without a father affects young men. It is told through a series of short, connected scenes where the play captures boys’ emotional and personal struggles as they try to become men without a father’s presence to lead and guide them along the way.
Production director and writer Lukho Noyila said the play aimed to highlight the difficulties boys with absent fathers experience.
“So, we speak about that concept of finding your identity, the idea of not having a paternal father during Initiation School, and how it affects the man we are trying to build from a boy.”
Noyila graduated with a degree in Theatre and Performance from the University of Cape Town and involved himself with Magnet Theatre and ASSITEJ South Africa, which gave him a firsthand experience of how performance could transcend boundaries and spark meaningful conversations.
“I felt an undeniable pull to delve deeper into the craft, not just as an art form, but as a vital force for change and understanding in the world,” he said.
The ‘Mqambi weNyembezi Vuka’ is not just about the absence of fathers; it also tells a story about the women who step up, often playing the role of a mother and father. “The production doesn’t only rely on the theme of absent fathers but also highlights the sacrifices women make to raise their children alone,” he said.
“We hope the audience can have a revelation about those parts of themselves they’ve never wanted to discuss. Because this is not just a story about men. It’s a story for everyone who has grown up with an absent father,” said Noyila.
