Gaborone — Alliance Française de Gaborone will host PEPONI, a Franco-Tanzanian dance-theatre production exploring themes of paradise, belonging, and possibility, on Saturday, 12 September 2026 at 6:30 PM at Maitisong Theatre.
Presented by House of Wondar, PEPONI combines movement, theatre, and audience participation to invite reflection on a central question: Can we create our own paradise, here and now, on the African continent? The 60-minute performance is suitable for audiences aged 10 and above.
Taking its title from Nobel Prize-winning author Abdulrazak Gurnah’s novel, PEPONI — meaning “paradise” in Swahili — approaches the concept not as a distant ideal but as a lived question about African realities, aspirations, and futures. The production encourages audiences to imagine better futures and consider their role in shaping them.
Directed and choreographed by Matthieu Nieto with dramaturgy by Koleka Putuma, PEPONI is the debut stage production of House of Wondar, a Dar es Salaam-based dance company and artistic hub. The company brings together eight young Tanzanian dancers for a 20-month programme of residencies, stage productions, and socially engaged works.
The Southern African tour will see PEPONI performed in six cities across five countries — South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana, Mozambique, and Tanzania — in partnership with the French cultural network in the region. The Gaborone performance will be a one-night-only event.
Alliance Française de Gaborone, which hosts more than 50 cultural events annually, said the production reflects its mission to foster intercultural dialogue and support both international and local artistic scenes.
