Rising Choreos exposes hidden talent in Banda

As Van Vickers features in Well Calculated

By Albert Sharra

Soldier of the poor, son of a poor man are some of the popular nicknames musician Lucius Banda is known for and his frequent contribution to the entertainment industry in the country still earns him new nicknames. But the time is now in for the artist to wear a new nickname with a single word-Multitalented. This was the term almost every patron who patronised the premier of a stage play titled Well Calculated by Rising Choreos which also featured a Nollywood actor Van Vicker at Sunbird Capital hotel Marquee on Sunday could use to describe Banda.

 The musician was one of the few artists who rubbed shoulders with the Ghanaian actor on stage and his performance was beyond everyone’s expectation. Taking a role of a top boss of a company that was also the setting of the play, Banda brilliantly coordinated with Vicker and four other female actors and the main message in the play was just clear to everyone.

For the first time in the history of stage plays in Malawi, the theatre company presented a simple, short and a beautiful play supported by a good and simple stage set up like the one displayed by the Germany’s theatre group called Konstanz which visited the country last year.

Banda played the role of George and Vicker (Bill in the play) was his workmate. They were millionaires and held top positions at the company. They believed that with money and power in their hands they can get any girl. On the other hand, was three beautiful and ambitious girls Lynn, Cathy and Tissa and are on a mission to succeed in life no matter what it takes.

Centralising the play on the behaviours of bosses in companies who abuses their powers to fall in love with female workmates, the play exposes the weakness in men when it is time to please a woman for sex favours. Lynn and Tissa accepted to fall in love George and Bill respectively to get favours at the company, but Tissa had a mission when she finally opened up to George. She had recognised that George was married and was going out with Lynn. She also knew he was his dad and he dumped her deceased mother when she was just six months pregnant.

This drives to the climax and final point of the play where Tissa demands K10m from Vicker to use as compensation to Cathy who Vicker dumped at the begging of the play. She also demanded K17m from George, K10 m was deposited into her account and K7 million into George’s wife account leaving the two men confused-a well calculated plan.

Despite some frustrations at the beginning of the day that saw Vicker arriving at the venue late and the play which was scheduled for 2pm starting after 4pm, everyone was just happy after the play. In a vox pops, the patrons expressed satisfaction and hailed Rising Choreos for the beautiful play and for bringing the handsome actor to the soils of Malawi. They also tipped Banda to try theatre as his second career.

“My last time on stage was 25 years ago that was during my secondary school and i never dreamt of coming back on stage. Joyce Chavula approached me in January and refused several times because i had no confidence in myself, but she came back two weeks ago telling me to take the stuff. I could disappoint her and so i took it, i should not hide it to you, my confidence was building while i was on stage because of the morale from the public,” said Banda after the play while pointing out that he wants to try theatre as a new career.

Director of Rising Choreos Theatre Company Chavula said she was impressed with the coordination Banda and Vicker produced. She also described their performance as superb and a good step in as far as the dream to turn Malawi’s stage plays and movies international is concerned.

In his speech before performing, Vicker announced his passion to work with Malawi Theatre and help few artists from the country to feature in one of his movies.

“I had never met any person from Malawi before and i thank God that today i am here and interacting with hundreds of people. Malawians are lovely and your country is beautiful. There is also future in theatre and i want to pledge here that i will feature three actors from Malawi in my next movie, “said the Ghanaian ace.

To kick start the journey, the actor donated K500 000 to Association of Teaching English in Malawi (Atem).

END.