COMPOSING: INTERVIEW WITH JOHN PFUMOJENA

John Pfumojena is a multiple awardwinning Zimbabwean actor, musician and writer. He has performed in Zimbabwe at HIFA, Theatre In The Park, with his award-winning band, Mnandiband and his theatre company Spear. Since moving to the UK in 2013 he has performed with Tangle, Theatre-Rites, at Shakespeare’s Globe, with Told by an Idiot and in The National Theatre’s production of Peter Pan in which he played the titular role. In 2017 he originated the role of Okot in Young Vic/Good Chance Theatre’s internationally renowned production of The Jungle for which he also composed and arranged the music. 2018 saw the launch of his debut album, Sounds of Refuge, recorded at London’s Abbey Road studios with Mohamed Sarrar and Ammar Haj Ahmad. Fusing Zimbabwean, Sudanese and Syrian music, spoken word and poetry, it is composed and performed with mbira, darbuka and djembe. 2021 saw John play Enoch Snow in Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s Carousel. 2022 sees him tour nationally with his own newly originated work, Bunker Of Zion, co-produced with the Collaborative Touring Network and John’s own company, Meet My Ancestors, of which he is Artistic Director. John is an Associate Artist at Tangle and has composed original music and song for many of Tangle’s productions.

1. Tell us about your practice – what it is and what it involves.

I’m a musician, actor and writer. I compose music for recording and theatre based on my Zimbabwean heritage as a palate- Mbira Shona music. Shona is one of Zimbabwe’s principal languages (I also speak Ndebele and English). I write stories that pertain to my experiences and that need to be heard.

2. How did you get into music, acting and writing?

I started being a creative at the age of 6 when I performed in my first play. At 8 I was the only boy in my junior school choir. At the age of 10 writing music became writing stories, and I haven’t looked back since then.

3. What were and are your influences and inspirations?

My strong influences are definitely the Mbira and Marimba music of Zimbabwe fused with my knowledge of western contemporary and classical music. Also Verbatim theatre, and definitely township-style plays/storytelling.

4. Would you say your work fits into a particular genre/style?

I would never describe my work to be dictated by genre. It is always a hybrid of my influences which continue to grow. I use my cultural heritage to collaborate with myriad styles and genres. Therefore, I am always creating hybrid fusions.

5. Tell us about the work you have done with Tangle.

With Tangle I have worked on many touring pieces including performing, acting and composing music.

I’ve worked with the texts of Mandela and commissioned writers; a Zimbabwean play, Workshop Negative, in which I both performed and composed the music (original works including sing-speak); as well as classical writers: I composed the entire scores for Doctor Faustus (2018) which included a Capella choral singing and mbira music; Volpone (2020), which included an EP release, Amina Kadeya.

My work involves creating a palette of music and sound ideas incorporating melody, song, sing-speak and a percussive set (when parts of the set can be used as percussion). We use these processes to build up the musical framework of the play, eventually blending the spoken word action with live and recorded music and sound. Working with Tangle has been a thrill. It is work that has something to say. And speaks to the betterment of mankind and communal interaction.