Mbuya’s gone, Takura’s lost her guide, stuck in the UK without a passport, how will she say her goodbyes.
Dark Matter is a lyrically playful piece that explores the power of reclaiming and remixing traditions. Told through spoken word, movement and live looping this solo show packs a cosmic punch weaving poetry and visual media into a sensorially pleasing watch.
After the death of her last remaining grandparent,Takura spirals into questioning where she sits with her ancestors and what if any cultural inheritance is left for her to claim.
In spite of her cultural disconnect Takura constructs a makeshift burial rite for her grandmother’s spirit. Guided by her co-star and loose understanding of quantum physics, Takura might just tap into the cosmic world wide web and build a bridge to the ancestral plane. But what will it take, and what knowledge awaits Takura on the other side?
Voyage with Takura as we blend Western ideas of Quantum Physics and Astrology with Zimbabwean myth to reconnect with the spirit of her Grandmother.
Part of Vault FIVE, VAULT Festival’s unique development programme for cutting-edge artists.
Themes: Queerness in the African Diaspora, Grief, Ritual, Afrofuturism, Belonging, Spiritual Inheritance, and Cultural Cosmology.
Press & Reviews
"Tatenda Naomi Matsvai’s Dark Matter, was a work-in-progress in 2021 and returns to stage with this Afrofuturistic play exploring spirituality." (The Voice online)
Cast & Creative Team Director - Kirk-Ann Roberts
Designer - Gisela Mulindwa
Movement Director - Sean Ting-Hsuan Wang
Lighting Designer - Ruth Harvey
Sound Designer - Joe Browning
Design Associate - Claudia Casino
Producer - Jess Senanayake
Written and Performed by Tatenda Naomi Matsvai