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Deadly Serious: Pandemic Humour, Media and Critical Perspectives
  • ISSN: 2040-199X
  • E-ISSN: 1751-7974

Abstract

This article examines theatre as a creative journalistic media deployed by theatre practitioners to map experiences of Zimbabweans during the COVID-19-induced lockdown. When the first positive case of COVID-19 was reported in March 2020, the Zimbabwe government, like many other countries, responded by introducing restrictions for public gatherings and ultimately a lockdown including arts events. Yet, theatricality has refused to capitulate. Artists re-invented their theatre productions into theatrical comic and satirical works posted on various social media platforms, in an effort to make sense of the pandemic, bring laughter and address a serious complex situation. We examine how artists deployed theatre to journal, capture and document the citizen’s collective experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, for both the present and posterity. We are specifically interested in analysing the different ways art is deployed to provide entertainment, a broader understanding and awareness of the social, psychological and economic impact of COVID-19 for the present and future generations.

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2022-06-01
2024-05-03
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http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/jams_00079_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): COVID-19; experiences; journalism; mapping; performance; Zimbabwe

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