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Leroy Dzenga

Arts Reporter

A local production company has teamed up with top Zimpapers radio station Star FM to produce a weekly radio drama series.

According to the producers, Patsimeredu Trust, the drama titled Shelea is a depiction of a young female politician and will be exploring how she balances the hurdles of motherhood and public office.

The drama is set to start airing this month and is expected to have traction based on the names it houses.

The drama cast includes Caroline Mashingaidze, Nash Mphepo, Sitshengisiwe Siziba, Nobert Makoche, Caroline Magenga (Shahmaine Mukutirwa and Farirai Mhuru.

A Patsime Trust representative told The Herald that the drama series looks at day-to-day struggles and triumphs of women in contemporary society.

Radio dramas were popular in the 1990s, but their production has slowed down due to the advent of digital platforms which shifted the media of storytelling.

“The reason we are using radio drama for our storytelling is that we wanted to bring a degree of relief to people who have been under pressure since the advent of Covid-19. We felt there was need for new stories to lighten the mood,” Patsime Trust project coordinator Sandra Mpofu explained.

Despite using theatre actors predominantly in the project, Mpofu said the experience was not as difficult as anticipated.

“The experience was new for our actors, but as seasoned professionals they were quick to adjust. They obviously needed to inject more emotion in their acting as they were not aided by props and stage lighting as is the case when doing our normal theatre productions,” said Mpofu.

They are hoping radio, which is sometimes referred to as the medium of Africa due to its far reach, will help them achieve the awareness goal they are pursuing.

The drama is part of the She-leads project initiative Patsime Trust in which Patsime Trust has partnered Star FM, HIVOS Southern Africa and the Irish Embassy.