In a poignant installment of In Conversation with Trevor hosted by Alpha Media Holdings chairman Trevor Ncube (TN), acclaimed playwright Petina Gappah (PG) and the trailblazing Fat Cats Crew delve into their latest production, Yellow Dog Dingo.
Far from a mere performance, the play serves as a vital vehicle for national and personal healing in Zimbabwe.
Director Tafadzwa Bob Mutumbi (TM), designer Marcus Zinavashe (MZ) and composer Anesu Gwatidzo (AG) join Gappah to discuss confronting "unprocessed trauma" — from the legacy of child soldiers to the grips of addiction.
Through a collaborative "360° vision," this artistic collective is reclaiming the narrative, proving that theatre remains a powerful tool for reconciliation
TN: Greetings, and welcome to In Conversation with Trevor, brought to you by Heart and Soul Broadcasting Services. Today, I'm in conversation part two with Petina Gappah, and we are joined by the Fat Cats crew to continue our discussion on Yellow Dog Dingo.
TN: Why are you called the Fat Cats Crew?
PG: It came to us in 2020, actually, I think 2019 after my first play, Rotten Row. On the last night, it was such a sensation that I excitedly said to the whole theater, "Let's go home, let's have a party."
So I had about 60 people at my house. My sister was telling us a story about an HIV activist who had been flown around the world as a mascot in the early years of HIV awareness.
He got tired of it. On one famous occasion, on stage in Canada, he mocked people and said in his speech, "I am from Zimbabwe, and every day we see them come to our land, the fat cats.
They come in Land Rovers and planes to see us, the poor people of Zimbabwe. And some of them are sitting right behind me.
We found that so funny. At that time, I had decided I wanted to work like Christopher Nolan or Quentin Tarantino having the same people playing different parts and roles but we needed a name. After that day, we decided on the Fat Cats.
TN: Tafadzwa Bob Mutumbi, you are the director and dramaturg. Before we get to the play, who is Tafadzwa? How did you get into this industry?
TM: It's difficult to talk about yourself. I'm a theater maker from Harare, Zimbabwe. I studied at Theory X Theatre Initiative in Harare and then at the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre in California, USA.
I remember in primary school, I wanted to sing, but I was chased out of the vacation band because I couldn't sing. So I turned to writing poems.
From Grade 2, I performed poems at school commemorations. In high school, I was in the drama club and even founded one. I also performed poetry with a friend.
The desire to perform was always there, not in an attention seeking way, but just sharing poems with friends.
My parents are artists too, though not professionally. My brother made our furniture, my uncle is a visual artist; we made everything in our home. So art was always around me.
TN: Marcus Zinavashe, set and costume designer, when did you realise this was your path?
MZ: I can't specify a single moment. Growing up in a nomadic family — Bulawayo, Gwanda, South Africa and Harare — shaped how I view the world.
My grandmother was a teacher and hyper-fashionable; I remember her vibrant prints. Bulawayo has a vibrant culture. I always wanted to express what I saw visually.
Art extends beyond costuming. We do visual art, murals, creative direction, and storytelling.
I think reflection sessions helped me understand that this is who I am. Working in a collective also helps, because I learn from others and the 360° vision becomes full.
TN: Anesu Gwatidzo, music, sound, and arrangement, where did your journey begin?
AG: From nursery school nativity plays, to primary school marimba with Chihwa, to high school choir and musical theatre. I was reluctant at first but fell in love with it.
I started producing music in high school, recording rap songs in dorms on laptops. Then I studied commercial music production and composition at Snow College in the US. Coming home, I worked with anyone I could to apply what I learned.
TN: When did this become a paying job for each of you?
TM: Around 2008–2009. After A-levels, I studied journalism, but theatre was stronger.
A friend told me about the Theory X Theatre Initiative. On my first day, we signed for a monthly allowance that was my first professional check. While still in training, directors called me for plays. In 2011, I worked with Patrice Nambana on The Gospel of Othello, which informed my approach to decolonial theatre.
MZ: My first commission was a mural for Theatre in the Park in 2018. Then we did portraits for the Wall of Fame. Frustration played a part, and after graduating, I worked in advertising but wanted to see my ideas live fully. So we started doing commercial murals, but nothing came of four brand commissions.
AG: July 2015 — an American director came to do a Beatles cabaret. I was fresh out of high school and paid well. That was my first singing and acting paycheck. Later, I wrote and directed Heartbreak Mafia as an amateur production. It got national recognition, and we were invited to perform and paid well.
TN: Petina presented you with the script of Yellow Dog Dingo. What was your reaction?
TM: I loved it because it's a story about healing. As Zimbabweans, we don't really want to talk about healing — nationally or personally. My mission is to investigate how we arrive at healing and what it costs.
My parents were child soldiers — 14, 15 years old — who went to war. After victory, there was euphoria, but no conversation about what happened. Their parenting styles, the beatings, the discipline stem from unprocessed trauma. My generation must start that conversation.
MZ: It felt heavy. The character Julian Simango is an alcoholic because of trauma. Reading it, I saw the journey from pain to healing — the triggers, the acceptance. Alcohol is a hiding place. It reflected our nation's current struggles with addiction. I knew I had to be part of it.
AG: I have relationships with survivors of sexual abuse, and it frustrated me that I couldn't do more than listen. This gave me an opportunity to put my fight into my work to advocate for survivors and shine a light on addiction as a poor coping mechanism. Also, working with people I admire sealed it.
TN: Petina, this is heavy subject matter. How do you cheer yourself up while dealing with it?
PG: Theatre is collaborative, every night is different, magical. You get a high without needing drugs or alcohol. I love the alchemy between performer and audience.
TN: Anesu, you said music is the second character. Unpack that.
AG: After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music. There's a rhythm to life in how we greet, in birdsong, wind, city noise. That underpins my approach. I fill out the rhythmic aspects beyond dialogue.
There are moments Julian is at a loss for words drawn back to childhood Catholic hymns to soothe himself. We also use pop songs like Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" to speak directly to his conflict. Traditional mbira music connects him to his lineage and ancestors.
TN: Marcus, how does the costume reveal Julian?
MZ: Visuals are powerful. I imagined him as a surgeon, exceptionally well-dressed. Every detail, the color, the fit connects him to his story. The costume, together with music, direction, and words, completes the visual imagery.
TN: Tafadzwa, how do you separate yourself from such a traumatic role?
TM: In theory, you should separate, you're a vessel for the character. But in practice, it's difficult. Some roles are hard to shake. However, you must. Otherwise, you become self-indulgent and it affects your life and performance.
TN: Petina, what's your experience with fundraising and corporate support?
PG: The arts are a creative industry and artists should be paid well. That requires audiences buying tickets and corporate sponsorship. We've had support from the Mukos Foundation, which helped us host a fundraising night. Some corporates have committed to helping us take the play further even to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2027. We welcome support, and we want audiences to come and enjoy the play.
TN: What do you want audiences to walk away with?
TM: That healing is possible. That you can move on, forgive for your own benefit.
AG: Healing is an active, daily process. Engaging with it starts your journey, and a healed version of yourself can inspire others.
MZ: To understand that healing is active — and by engaging, you help others too.
PG: I want people who've been through trauma not to see it as failure, but as something they can overcome. It can't unhappen, but it can become a springboard to a better version of yourself.