Poster designed by Naddya Olouch-Adhiambo
The Shopping Dead is a fast-paced dramatic comedy that follows the lives of four Mega Mart employees who want desperately to survive their shift. This groundbreaking theatrical experiment made exclusively for WhatsApp premiered at the virtual National Arts Festival in July 2020. The play was selected for the main programme and was coproduced by the National Arts Festival and Faye Kabali-Kagwa.
Conceived during the first stages of the COVID-19 pandemic the production provided audiences and artists an alternative performance platform to online streaming. The Shopping Dead is a theatrical play designed specifically for WhatsApp, with the action broadcast through the group chat. The audience are voyeurs as narratives unfold before their eyes over the course of an hour. Rather than employ physical bodies these plays allow for the virtual world to be brought to life as text, voice notes, GIFS, memes, and pictures.
Credits
Producer: Faye Kabali-Kagwa
Playwright: Ncumisa Ndimeni
Director: Lesego Chauke
Stage Manager: Tshegofatso Mabutla
Cast Kathleen Stephens
Chris Djuma
Tankiso Mamabolo
Kiroshan Naidoo
Reviews
New Vision (Ugandan Newspaper)
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