Theatre lovers in Harare are in for an early Halloween treat with the staging of a hauntingly powerful one-woman play based on a social legend.

The play, Molly Street, written and directed by seasoned theatre practitioner Peter Churu, will be showcased at Theatre in the Park, Harare Gardens, from September 18 to 20, 2024.

Starring talented stage and television actress Chido Jo-Anne Tenga, Molly Street bravely tackles universal themes such as child marriages, women’s rights, prostitution, and social issues in pre-colonial Zimbabwe, all told with an unconventional tone.

Set in the 1960s, the storyline revolves around Molly, a well-known prostitute in Chiredzi, a small sugar plantation town in southern Zimbabwe, then known as Rhodesia. In a crime of passion, Molly tragically meets her end at the hands of a jealous boyfriend. Her spirit, however, returns to haunt and seek revenge, turning her story into a local ghost legend. The tale grew so notorious that the town authorities named a street after her, preserving her legacy in both life and death.

Molly Street was conceived a decade ago by writer-director Peter Churu, who was inspired by a news article he read in The Herald. “I read the fascinating story of Molly, which reminded me of Peggy, a legend I grew up hearing about in Highfields,” said Churu in an interview with My Afrika Magazine.

Churu was intrigued by the fact that a town council would honor a known sex worker with a street name. This sparked a long research process that culminated in the script for the stage play.

“Getting immersed in Molly’s emotion was overwhelming. Patriarchy has a lot to answer for in our lifetime. By telling this story, I am making my personal atonement as a man,” Churu shared