The RFI Theater Prize is a prestigious competition that highlights French-speaking literary and dramaturgical talents from Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean and the Near or Middle East. This year, among the twelve finalists selected, a Congolese candidate stands out: N’Anza Tata with his play entitled “Analogie du vertigo”.
Since its creation in 2014, the RFI Theater Prize has not yet crowned a Congolese winner from the DRC, despite the participation of many authors from the country. The previous year, three Congolese writers, Jocelyn Danga Motty, Djo Kazadi Ngeleka and Bibatanko, tried their luck without success. This time, it is N’anza Tata who represents the hope of Congo.
“Analogie du vertigo” is a play that paints a fine portrait of contemporary Congolese society. The story takes place in a bar in Kinshasa, “Chez Mama ni Mama”, during the burial of the tooth of Lumumba, hero of the independence of the DRC. The bar’s customers, of various origins, exchange their points of view, under the watchful eye of the owner who plays the role of arbiter. The local troubadour, Kabukula, improvises a poem that gradually frees languages and consciences.
The RFI Theater Prize is awarded each year by Radio France Internationale (RFI) as part of the Zébrures d’Automne festival in Limoges. The jury, made up of artists and theater professionals, evaluates the literary and dramaturgical qualities and the originality of the preselected texts. The name of the winner will be announced on September 24.
This competition makes it possible to highlight French-speaking theatrical works and to promote the talents of authors from the Francophonie. Participants can be between 18 and 46 years old and must submit original and unpublished texts in all theatrical genres in French.
We wish N’anza Tata good luck and hope he takes the win for Congo. His talent and his subtle portrait of Congolese society deserve to be recognized and saluted