Accolades for theatre performance

At the Festival of Dramatic Arts (FEDA) KZN One Act Play Festival, Epworth’s production of Purple Umbrella wowed audiences and judges. Epworth was recognised as one of the top four schools in KwaZulu-Natal and secured promotion to the FEDA KZN Finals. The cast was commended on their display of authenticity, emotional honesty, and vulnerability and the production was congratulated for the sensitivity and conviction with which it carried the stories of survivors and victims.

To top it off, the following pupils won awards in the finals:
Best Costume – Tafadzwa Sigudu and Keneilwe Totlhanyo
Best Lighting Design: Luke Holder Award – Tafadzwa Sigudu and Keneilwe Totlhanyo
Best Actor (Female Role) – Tawananyasha Mberi

Purple Umbrella, which was written and directed by Tafadzwa Sigudu for the FEDA Festival, is a powerful exploration of gender-based violence, societal indifference, and the lasting impact of silence. The play examines themes of power, vulnerability, victim-blaming, accountability, and the ways in which violence is often normalised or overlooked within communities. Through a series of deeply human perspectives, Purple Umbrella challenges audiences to reflect on issues of empathy, responsibility, and the importance of listening to the voices and experiences that are too often ignored. Urgent, thought-provoking, and socially relevant, the production asks difficult questions about the role we play as individuals and as a society in confronting injustice.