Puppetry theatre · Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Puppetry, dance and music follow Bomani and his elephant friend Ndlovu in an open-air theatre in Victoria Falls.
A one-hour story of exile and belonging, told with puppets, dancers and music under the open sky.
Simunye in four facts
Simunye: The Spirit of Africa is a one-hour stage production. The ticket buys a seat at the theatre; food and drink are not part of it, and neither are transfers. That makes it a different kind of Victoria Falls evening from a dinner show or a river trip, and an easy one to fit around either.
The Victoria Falls Theatre Company presents the production. Mongiwekhaya, whom the booking page calls an acclaimed Handspring puppeteer, directs it, and the performers are local professional artists. Handspring is the South African company that built the puppets for War Horse, which is why puppetry sits at the centre of this story.
The Victoria Falls Theatre is an open-air theatre of fewer than 200 seats at Elephants Walk, in the centre of the town. Taxis run to and from it and public transport is nearby. After the show, guests are welcomed on stage to take photos with the cast.
A map of the story as the production describes it, not a running order. What appears on stage, and in what order, can vary between nights.
The outline comes from the production's own description. Scenes, songs and puppets on a given night are not promised.
Exile
The story begins with Bomani, a member of the family of Chief Ekanjo, cast out from the Kimba tribe. Everything that follows grows from that loss.
Search
Bomani wanders the African hinterland looking for a place to belong. The production frames the evening as that quest, moving toward love and community.
Companion
He travels with a loyal elephant friend, Ndlovu. In the Nguni languages the name means elephant, as Wikipedia notes, so the name tells you who is walking beside him.
Craft
The director is billed as an acclaimed Handspring puppeteer. Handspring, a Cape Town company, built the puppets for War Horse, where each life-size horse is operated by three actors.
Sound and movement
The production combines visuals, music, puppetry and dance, performed by local professional artists. Which pieces you hear and see on your night is for the production to decide.
Togetherness
Local pages title the show Simunye We Are One, and the production describes its message as love and community. Afterwards, guests are welcomed on stage for photos with the cast.
Food, drink and transfers are not part of the ticket, so the night is yours to build around one hour of theatre. Every date in the booking calendar comes with a start time.
The booking page asks guests to arrive a half hour or more ahead of the start, which leaves time to find the theatre, buy a drink and take your seat.
Drinks are on sale at the theatre and can be taken into the performance when the show starts. Food is not included, so plan dinner before or after.
The show runs for about an hour in an open-air theatre. Bring a light layer for the evening and use insect repellent.
Guests are welcomed on stage to take photos with the cast. This takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how many people want one.
Taxis are available to and from the theatre, which is in the centre of town, and public transport is nearby. Arrange your ride before the show.
Wikipedia says the central historic district holds the town's oldest hotels, restaurants and bars, so a late meal is close at hand.
Viator's calendar shows which nights have seats, when each one starts and the live price in your currency.
Victoria Falls from the air and at night, with puppets from elsewhere in southern Africa and beyond. None of these photographs shows the Simunye production or its theatre, and the elephant at the top of the page is a wild one, not part of the show.
The theatre sits in the heart of a town that grew up around the falls. Three facts about the place help you plan the day around the show.
The theatre's address is Elephants Walk, in the centre of the town of Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side of the border. The production's own site describes it as an intimate open-air theatre.
Wikipedia says the settlement began in 1901 and that the bridge opened in April 1905. The town became the main tourism centre for the falls, and its central historic district holds the oldest hotels, restaurants and bars.
Wikipedia gives the falls as 1,708 m wide and 108 m high, which UNESCO listed in 1989 under the names Mosi-oa-Tunya and Victoria Falls. The Zimbabwean side is protected as Victoria Falls National Park.
| Kind of evening | What you do | A good fit when |
|---|---|---|
| A theatre show like Simunye | Sit for about an hour in an open-air theatre; food and drink are bought separately | You want live performers and a story, and a short evening |
| A dinner show | A meal sits at the centre of the night, with performance around it | You want food and entertainment in one booking |
| A river cruise | Spend the evening on the water as the light changes | You want the river at dusk more than a stage |
The production's own site lists performances six nights a week, Tuesday to Sunday. The calendar on the booking page shows which nights have seats and when each starts.
The theatre has no roof. Bring a light layer, and use insect repellent: the CDC lists malaria transmission across Zimbabwe, and a doctor or travel clinic can advise on medicine.
Wheelchair access is listed for the show, and prams and strollers are fine for infants and small children. Infants must sit on an adult's lap.
Food is not included. Plan dinner before the show or after the photographs with the cast, and book a table if you are eating in a busy part of town.
Taxis are available to and from the theatre and public transport is nearby. Transfers are not included, so arrange your ride at both ends.
Through Viator, cancelling a day or more before the scheduled start returns the full amount.
The ticket
How to book Simunye: The Spirit of Africa at the Victoria Falls Theatre: what the ticket covers, how to pick a night, and what to plan around it.
Read the full guideThe practical guide
An evening at the Victoria Falls Theatre in Zimbabwe: where it is, how to arrive, what to wear, what families need and how the night ends.
Read the full guideThe art form
Why Simunye is built on puppetry: what Handspring is, how puppets share a stage with actors, and what the director's billing tells you.
Read the full guideThe story
The story behind Simunye: Bomani, the Kimba tribe, the elephant Ndlovu, what the word Ndlovu means, and the music of Zimbabwe as background.
Read the full guidePlanning the day
A plan for one day at Victoria Falls that ends with Simunye: the falls, the bridge, the town and an unhurried evening at the theatre.
Read the full guideChoosing the evening
Who Simunye suits and who it does not: families, couples, groups and first-time visitors, with the access details from the booking page.
Read the full guideA one-hour production of puppetry, dance, music and visuals at the open-air Victoria Falls Theatre. It follows Bomani, cast out from the Kimba tribe, and his elephant friend Ndlovu.
No. The ticket covers entry to the show. Food, drink and transfers are separate, and drinks bought at the theatre can be taken in.
About an hour. Guests are then welcomed on stage for photos with the cast, which takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes.
The production's own site lists six nights a week, Tuesday to Sunday. Open dates and start times are in the booking calendar.
Mongiwekhaya, whom the booking page calls an acclaimed Handspring puppeteer. The Victoria Falls Theatre Company presents the show with local professional artists.
Prams and strollers are fine, infants sit on an adult's lap, and the show is wheelchair accessible. For age guidance, check the production's own site.
Local pages title the show Simunye We Are One. The production describes its message as love and community.
No. This is an independent guide. Tickets are booked on Viator, and the production has its own site.