Who No Kno Go Kno, at Malthouse Theatre - 70 minutes

It took me a while to understand just what was going down and to get into the flow of Who No Kno Go Kno, but once I did I fully embraced it.

It is colourful and combative for all the right reasons.

It dreams of a better world, in which humans don’t pillage the land, but treat it with respect and dignity.

Natural resources are not mined for greed, but protected and cherished.

This understanding is gained by a youngster and passed on to his elder, though it doesn’t happen instantly.

Who No Kno Go Kno is the work of Zimbabwean/Australian writer KUDAKWASHE.

It is modelled on the cultural necessity for Sankofa.

That is a Ghanaian word from the Akan tribe meaning to 'look back in order to move forward', or to 'fetch what is at risk of being left behind'.

In turn, that is a reference to tradition and ancestral wisdom.

KUDAKWASHE maintains that in the face of the climate crisis, it is more crucial than ever to assess where our relationship to the natural world stands.

Further, KUDAKWASHE observes that Western ideology sees us fighting for power over nature, but that flies in the face of climate solutions.

The latter necessitates the natural world dictating human behaviour.

Who No Kno Go Kno brings an Afrocentric lens to the climate conversation.

The surreal work is set in a futuristic, unnamed African country.

Melding music, spoken word and movement, the staging channels a dreamlike atmosphere.

The elemental powers of Mama Earth and Mama Sun present as larger-than-life forces.

Teenager Yung Sango (Tane Williams Accra) is on an eye-opening journey of discovery.

He navigates familial bonds, ancestral spirits and the ravages of climate change.

His epiphany then needs to translate to a realisation for his elder, Uncle Banga (Alpha Kargbo), before harmony and order can be restored.

So it is that Who No Kno Go Kno is about transition for the greater good – for the planet and its people to survive and thrive.

The third ‘character’ in the work is Ariko (Masego Pitso), an all-powerful figure.

The name, drawn from the Shona peoples, that make up over three quarters of the population of Zimbabwe, means ‘there is God, or He has mercy’.

All the roles in the piece and the interplay between them are fiery, suggesting that change doesn’t come without effort.

The characterisations are well realised by the three actors on stage, who are not backward in coming forward.

While sheeting home what is at stake here, the interplay between them is spirited and, often, humorous.

I applaud KUDAKWASHE and director Effie Nkrumah for taking this approach for it generates involvement on our part (that of the audience).

Who No Kno Go Kno is a rich sensory experience, which is fed by the set and costuming, lighting, sound and movement.

Set and costume designer Zoe Rouse’s colour palette is evocative and intoxicating.

Harrie Hogan’s lighting, Joe Paradise Lui’s composition and sound design, and the movement instigated by Jonathan Homsey and Kwame Tosuma add to the allure.

Who No Kno Go Kno is an exceptionally insightful offering that provokes, engages and entertains, while carrying a critically important message.

It is on at Beckett Theatre, at Malthouse Theatre, until 25^th October, 2025.