Barefeet

Mosten at Hope Street

MOSTEN HAS ARRIVED! 

Every week he will be updating us on his adventures on this page. It would never have been possible without Stephanie Topp and her amazing friends. Thank you so much Steph. Huge thanks to the Barefeet team and Grainne and Berkely in Lusaka, Peter and Sarah at Hope Street and everyone who supported online. Over to Mosten….

18th August 2009…

 

Well well well what a thing? Indeed God bless the day I knew I was coming to Liverpool! Its nice being here where its all happening, Image just doing a theatre shopping list and  putting it in your creative basket. Out here in Liverpool at hope street ltd definitely every artist is doing it!

 

I arrived in London at Heathrow airport on 15 august,2009. it was a safe landing after all. I thought for a while. As I was in the queue it was moving quite well and fast and everyone was checking in with their passports. My turn came and I went to counter 15. The immigration officer asked me a few questions then she handed me a slip and showed me a seat in another direction and I saw people turning their heads and looking at me as I took my seat. I knew definitely something either way was about to come. 

 I have heard about people being sent back to their countries just there at Heathrow airport, by Adams friends … the immigration (I think he organised this welcoming party for me so I could experience what he does in Zambia). It was a good length of time them figuring out why I came to England? Which institution I will be working for? What will I be doing there? Do I know where Liverpool is? Why was my visa rejected in the first place and how long will I be in the country? The exams where over after an hour, and three officers, then the last officer to interview me handed back my passport. I was free. Mandela Free. Just by the exit door I found Big Luke waiting for me with a big banana smile. It was not easy to smile back. He noticed that and quickly asked me how I was doing. I told him about Adams friends who had welcomed me to England with an interview. Then I told him about being detained for a while, he offered me a cup of hot coffee as we chatted I started feeling less tense. He lead the way down and just in a minute we where on ‘the tube’. But for me I still think that was a train.  To get to Liverpool from the airport, we had to get on this train, the so called tube. Getting off after some time. At some place, then jump on another train which connects to Liverpool.     

So me and Big Luke where on the tube, we chatted about Barefeet people, our President Barrack O Banda, about his work and just men’s stuff. We had passed a number of stations, and talked about the people he knows. The tube stopped at the station, I think it was the one we were to drop at. Big Luke wasn’t too sure, he stepped out to check if it was our stopping point. As he got out the doors shut, and the train left. Alone on ‘the tube’ in London. Things weren’t going to plan.

 

I dropped at the next station and sat for two minutes waiting, then I thought about Tazara and Zambia’s railway system. When a train leaves it takes two days or even more before another will come. If that’s the case then Big Luke may come by bus. So I figured my way up to the station entrance. Though, the ticket checking machine had swallowed my ticket. So I was there standing by the building entrance waiting, alone with no money.

  After some time i turned to see Big Luke running up the steps, when he saw me he gave me the biggest hug I have ever been given,                 

  “I have never been happier to see anyone Mosten, you don’t know, you don’t know”

  He looked even whiter than all the people around and he didn’t stop shivvering until we reached Euston. It was all happening. I stormed at Heathrow and caught up by an immigration stone thrown. I will tell you more when we meet or when I write.   Me and Luke and our adventure on the tube. Ill tell you more when we meet or when I write.    . 

18th August 2009 ….  

Upon arrival in Liverpool, Adam took me to the Albert Dock where I saw street theatre and met a number of artists and had lunch with Peter, the boss of Hope Street. Strange to me because in Zambia very few will have the opportunity to have lunch with the boss.  I went to sleep just for seconds, that is all this McGuigan guy would allow. Then we went for a drink at this fabulous old bar, where I met a familiar face Alison (who had visited Zambia in 2007), and some other artists I will be working with. Everything was so nice but was happening so fast at the same time. I will tell you more when we meet or when I write.    . 

20th August 2009… 

Well the course is going on very well, there is a lot, and loads of stuff to look at. Right now we are in the full massively talented hands of Denise Evans. She is the coke-astic, sprite-istic, fantastic theatre director who can stretch and tickle and tune an actor for a specific movement. Ill tell you more when we meet or when I write.    . 

21st August 2009 ….

The artists I am working with are very supportive  and really pushing things willingly up to that ambitious point. There’s Julie, Jamie, Steve, Claire, Anna, Andy, Brad, Paul, Fiona, Danielle, Claire, Sam and off course Mostigo. I will tell you more when we meet or when I write. 

22nd August 2009….. 

The first week was really mad. It took some madness muscle to handle. Imaging new environment, new weather, new muntu people, new Cairo Road, new findico buildings, new mini buses and bus conductors, new shake shake, new Nshima, new language…. No chance to speak Bemba at all (except the insultant Adam with his broken Bemba insults), who knows even new dreams aswell. Ill tell you more when we meet or when I write again.

    

 . 24th August 2009….

Sometimes you wake up, you think you are in Zambia. Then you realise you are just in the new kabulonga in Liverpool. Lots of things that I am learning will be great to take back to the kids in Barefeet. Ill tell you more when I write or when we meet.      

2 WEEK Q&A 

 Mosten has been in The UK now for 2 weeks, so  here is a little round up of his adventure so far. I fired 6 questions to him.

 . 1)     Mosten what has been the most exciting thing about being in the UK so far?   

It’s the theatre experience, you know the way things are being handled theatrically, and working in a new environment on a new piece, with new people. The piece we are working on is so unique. The piece is called About Another Place, its on a beach where there are 100 statues. The show will take place at night and is based on the statues. Its about birth, life, death, resurrection and episodes in between. Its very new to me because in Zambia there is no ocean, no beach. And I have never had the experience to be in a piece that has so many dimensions, there are musicians creating new music, there is a sound score, visuals, action. One thing I have noticed is the respect for specialisation. Its not like there is a jack of all trades, where someone will just say they can do something for money. ‘I can do lighting, I can do sound,  I can act etc etc’, often people in Zambia might say they can do something, but i have noticed here people are trained for all these things. I respect that.

I have also enjoyed watching that man who is rude to people on the X factor.

.                                                                                                                               . 2)      What has been the most challenging aspect?    Long working hours. We start early and work til late at night. In Zambia if you say you meet at 9 o clock, you leave your house at 9 o clock. Here you have to get up and prepare in advance. Also the language, sometimes if I am tired or if people get carried away in conversation (or people have few drinks), they just go mad and with the Liverpool accent, I miss things. If people are emotional or getting carried away I don’t wan to annoy people by asking them what they said, or meant. One of the people on the course, Steve, frequently leans over to me and whispers ‘Are you lost?’ and fills me in. Sometimes I just get the idea of what people are saying, and that’s enough. The other challenging thing is the food. All of the food here is just for breakfast not real food. And because we are busy Adam and I have been enjoying junk food. A LOT! Very much.

     

3)     What are the main differences. 

  Weather. The sun setting and rising at different times. Its still light when its late, even when its 21 hours. Also the girls, I have known and seen Joanna Martins skirts … they are short. But in Liverpool the skirts are even shorter. I tell you sometimes its very distracting. It just shifts your focal point of attention, especially on the street. Also here you cannot make a comment, I am dumb about it, but inside there is a lot of speech yet to be spoken.  

 

.4)     What new things you have learned? 

  Theatre techniques and exercises and games. The culture. How independent people are. Its very much an ‘I’ thing, in Zambia we start with ‘we’. People are very independent. Things are very about claiming your own space. This is ‘my’ corner, ‘my’ stuff, ‘my’ work. I don’t think of this as a negative thing, because in Zambia when we say ‘we’, then who is going to do the thing? It may take some time to figure that one out  but in the end  its done. which I like as well ! Also man to man relationships and women to women relationships, where a man has a man boyfriend. It has been strange to me because it is not common in Zambia, but its fine. Its fine, because people are free to embrace their own passions with whom they are pleased with. Here its legal in Zambia its illegal. Its my first time to experience this lifestyle. One of my friends on the course has been telling me about it and he has been in such a relationship. Im looking forward to my first gay party.   .                 

  

5)     What do you think you can take back to the Barefeet kids in Zambia?     Its not yet done for me to figure out? Im still learning and gathering as much as possible to see what I will bring back. Its too early to say, because there is a lot. .  

                6) What’s coming up?     Im not even sure, we have been so busy there has barely been time to discuss. Im just focusing on the performance next week.