LUSAKA PLAY HOUSE: WHY REVIVING THE STAGE COULD ALSO REVIVE ZAMBIA’S FILM INDUSTRY

Aug 27

7 min read

From Theatre to the Screen, Building Zambia’s Stages Could Be One of the Best Investments in the Future of Film

The ongoing renovation of Lusaka Play House, now reported to be approximately 60 percent complete, is more than the rehabilitation of an important cultural building. It is an investment in an entire creative ecosystem.

The National Association of Media Arts, NAMA, welcomes the progress being made by the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts and believes that the revival of theatre infrastructure could have an impact far beyond the performing arts.

It could help build the next generation of Zambia’s film and television actors.

According to the Ministry’s update, the Lusaka Play House renovation includes roofing, structural steel and roof support, electrical systems, air conditioning and other improvements, with completion and handover expected by February 2027.

This is encouraging news for theatre practitioners.

But it should also be encouraging news for filmmakers.

Theatre and Film Are Not Separate Industries

One of the most important things we need to understand about the creative industry is that its disciplines are deeply interconnected.

Theatre feeds film.
Film feeds television.
Television feeds digital content.
Music feeds film.
Writing feeds theatre, television and cinema.

Photography, design, fashion, sound, lighting and other creative disciplines contribute to all of them.

When one part of the ecosystem becomes stronger, the others can benefit.
This is particularly true when it comes to stage acting and screen acting.
For many actors, theatre provides an important foundation for developing performance skills.
The stage demands discipline.
It demands projection.
It demands memorisation.
It demands physical expression.
It demands concentration.
It demands the ability to understand character.
And, perhaps most importantly, it teaches performers how to command an audience.

These are skills that can become extremely valuable when an actor eventually moves in front of a camera.

Theatre Can Become the Training Ground for Film

A thriving theatre industry gives actors somewhere to learn their craft before they appear on screen.

A young performer can begin in community theatre.

They can participate in school productions.
They can join a theatre group.
They can perform on professional stages.
They can develop confidence and stage presence.
They can work with directors.
They can learn character development.
They can understand scripts.
They can make mistakes and improve.

Eventually, that performer can transition into film and television.

This creates something Zambia's film industry desperately needs:

A continuous pipeline of trained and experienced talent.

Instead of constantly searching for new actors when a film or television production begins, we can have an active theatre ecosystem continuously developing performers.

That is why investment in theatre should also be viewed as investment in film talent development.

Imagine a Zambia Where Theatre Is Everywhere

Imagine functional theatre houses in Lusaka, Kitwe, Ndola, Chingola, Livingstone, Kabwe, Chipata, Mongu and other parts of the country.

Imagine young people regularly attending performances.
Imagine theatre companies producing plays every month.
Imagine schools and colleges collaborating with professional theatre practitioners.
Imagine actors moving from community theatre into professional stage productions, then into television and film.
Imagine filmmakers attending theatre performances specifically to discover new talent.

That is how an ecosystem develops.

Theatre houses become more than venues.

They become talent incubators.

The Broadway and Hollywood Connection

A useful international comparison is the relationship between Broadway and Hollywood in the United States.

Broadway has historically been an important platform for actors to develop and demonstrate their craft, while Hollywood represents a much larger screen entertainment ecosystem.

The two industries are distinct, but there is significant movement of talent between stage and screen.

Actors can build their reputations on stage and subsequently transition into film and television, while established screen actors can also return to the stage.

The lesson for Zambia is not that we need to copy the American model.

The lesson is that different creative disciplines can strengthen one another when the ecosystem is properly developed.

Our theatre stages can become part of the talent pipeline for our film industry.

Our film industry can, in turn, create opportunities for theatre practitioners.

The two should not be treated as competing sectors.

They are complementary parts of the same creative economy.

A Theatre House Is Also a Film Industry Asset

When we talk about renovating a theatre house, we should therefore think beyond the number of seats inside the building.

Think about what happens around it.

Actors are trained.
Directors gain experience.
Writers develop scripts.
Lighting technicians develop their craft.
Sound engineers gain practical experience.
Costume designers create.
Set designers build.
Stage managers learn production management.
Producers learn how to organise productions.
Audiences develop.
And filmmakers have a place where they can discover talent.

That is an entire creative ecosystem operating from one facility.

This Is Why the Renovation of Lusaka Play House Matters

NAMA therefore sees the Lusaka Play House renovation as an encouraging development for the broader creative industry.

The Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts has indicated that the facility should ultimately be viewed as a sustainable enterprise, a place where artists can display their work and a potential tourist attraction.

That vision is important.

A theatre that is consistently active can generate income while simultaneously supporting artists.

It can host theatre productions, festivals, workshops, cultural events, exhibitions and other creative activities.

And every production creates opportunities for people to work.

Chingola, Livingstone and Beyond

We are equally encouraged by the attention being given to other theatre facilities.

NAMA is aware of efforts involving facilities such as Chingola Arts Society and Livingstone, and we hope that this momentum will eventually reach other theatre houses across the country that have deteriorated over the years.

Zambia should not have theatre buildings that simply exist as structures.

We need living cultural spaces.

Spaces where people perform.
Spaces where people learn.
Spaces where people discover talent.
Spaces where communities gather.
Spaces where our stories are told.

And spaces where the next generation of actors can develop before eventually taking their talents to the screen.

The Film Industry Needs Fresh Talent

One of the challenges facing the growing Zambian film and television industry is the continuous development of fresh talent.

Productions need actors who can carry characters convincingly.
They need performers who understand scripts.
They need people who can take direction.
They need actors who are comfortable performing for the camera.
Theatre can help develop that foundation.

An actor who has spent years performing before a live audience has already learned many of the fundamentals of performance.

The camera introduces a different language, of course.

Screen acting requires subtlety, continuity, eyelines, blocking for camera, microphone awareness and an understanding of how performance changes through framing and editing.

But the fundamental craft of acting, characterisation, discipline, emotional truth and taking direction can be developed through theatre.

That is why a strong stage acting sector can become an enormous asset to film.

Theatre Can Become Zambia’s Talent Pipeline

What if every major theatre house had a deliberate talent development programme?
What if emerging actors could perform regularly?
What if filmmakers could scout talent through theatre?
What if theatre houses partnered with film schools and production companies?
What if directors held casting workshops there?
What if young writers could test their scripts on stage before adapting them for screen?
What if producers used theatre as a development space for new stories?
This is the kind of ecosystem we should begin imagining.

Theatre can become the nursery for Zambia’s screen talent.

And from that nursery, the next generation of Zambian actors can emerge.

Government Investment Can Multiply Across the Creative Economy

This is why government investment in cultural infrastructure is so important.

A single renovated theatre can create benefits across multiple creative disciplines.

The impact can extend to film, television, music, photography, fashion, tourism, education and digital content.

It can also contribute to local economic activity through transport, hospitality, catering, advertising, printing and other services.

The investment therefore should not be measured only by the cost of renovating the building.

It should also be measured by the creative and economic activity that the building can generate once it becomes operational.

Let Us Bring Audiences Back to the Theatre

Infrastructure alone, however, will not be enough.

We also need audiences.

The creative industry must encourage people to return to live performances.

Schools should be encouraged to expose students to theatre.

Universities and colleges can develop partnerships with theatre practitioners.

Corporates can sponsor productions.

Tourism operators can include cultural performances in their offerings.

Local authorities can support community arts programmes.

And filmmakers can become partners in developing new talent.

The theatre must become a place people want to visit.

A Strong Stage Creates a Strong Screen

This is perhaps the central message NAMA wants to emphasise.

When we invest in theatre, we are not investing only in theatre.

We are investing in people.

When we create opportunities for actors to perform on stage, we are also creating opportunities for those actors to eventually appear in films and television productions.

When we restore theatre houses, we restore places where stories can be tested, talent can be developed and audiences can be built.

And when we strengthen the theatre industry, we strengthen the foundations upon which other creative industries can grow.

The stage can be the stepping stone to the screen.

NAMA Welcomes the Progress

The National Association of Media Arts therefore commends the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts for the progress being made at Lusaka Play House.

We encourage the Ministry to maintain this momentum and explore the rehabilitation of more cultural and theatre facilities across Zambia.

We also encourage the creative industry to make full use of these facilities once they are restored.

Let us not renovate buildings and then leave them empty.
Let us fill them with stories.
Fill them with actors.
Fill them with audiences.
Fill them with music.
Fill them with workshops.
Fill them with young people discovering their creative potential.

And ultimately, let those stages become the places from which Zambia's next generation of screen stars emerge.

The Future Starts on the Stage

The future of Zambian film will not be built only inside film sets.

It will also be built inside classrooms, rehearsal rooms, community centres and theatre houses.

Some of tomorrow's greatest Zambian actors may currently be unknown.

They may be young people waiting for their first opportunity to step onto a stage.

Give them a stage, and they may discover their voice.

Give them an audience, and they may discover their confidence.

Give them training, and they may develop their craft.

Give them opportunities to grow, and one day they may walk onto a film set and deliver a performance that introduces them to the world.

That is why the revival of Zambia's theatre infrastructure matters.

A stronger theatre industry means a stronger talent pipeline.
A stronger talent pipeline means a stronger film industry.
And a stronger film industry means a stronger creative economy.

NAMA therefore looks forward to seeing Lusaka Play House restored to its full potential and hopes that the revival will inspire a nationwide programme to restore Zambia's stages.

Let us bring back the theatre.
Let us develop the actors.
Let us build the audience.

And let us prepare the next generation for the screen.

National Association of Media Arts, NAMA

Celebrating, Representing and Advancing Zambia's Media Arts Industry.

AUTHOR

Morgan MbuloPresident, National Association of Media Arts, NAMAMedia Consultant

SOURCE

Public Relations Unit, Ministry of Youth, Sport and ArtsUpdate on Lusaka Play House renovation works, dated 25 August 2026.