National Institute of Allied Arts Speech and Drama Festival

Adjudicator

I grew up in Zimbabwe performing at the Speech and Drama Festival every year, so returning to adjudicate felt like coming full circle — back to the stages and spaces that first shaped my understanding of performance.

I adjudicated close to 2,000 performances across Shakespeare, improvisation, original work and poetry, from ages 5 to 18, across Harare and Gweru. The range was extraordinary — from first encounters with classical texts to highly nuanced, accomplished performances.

It was a real honour to return and witness the depth of talent and commitment across the festival.