The dramatic rise of Dramatic Scholars
Dramatic Scholars’ rise has been fittingly ‘dramatic’.
A little over two years ago, the drama group did not exist.
Now, the troupe is covering historic ground, becoming the first act from Botswana to perform at the prestigious Kenyan International Theatre Festival (KITFEST).
Taking to the stage in Nairobi for the annual festival’s 10th edition last Wednesday, the group showed exactly why they are so highly rated, putting-on a thrilling rendition of their hard-hitting play, ‘Dikgang Tsa Bagolo: Ngwana Mme’.
The drama centres around two defining moments of regional conflict: the 1985 Gaborone Raids and the assassination of 28-year-old student activist, Abram Onkgopotse Tiro, who was killed by a parcel bomb in February 1974.
The production, which premiered to critical acclaim at last year’s Matisong Festival, shatters the traditional fourth wall, utilizing an immersive approach that thrusts audiences into the emotional crucible of these apartheid-era cross-border attacks.
The energy was amplified by the riveting original music co-written and performed by the group.
It is the bold, signature style that has become Dramatic Scholars’ hallmark.
The group’s founder and Creative Director, Boikhutso Phenyo Molefhi, assures Voice Entertainment this is just the start.
“So much of our history is undocumented. You go to archives and find nothing. Dramatic Scholars exists to close that gap, to make history engaging, entertaining, and alive,” highlights the 26-year-old.
Molefhi’s work combines entertainment with education, focusing on stories rooted exclusively in African heritage, culture, and historical truth.
The gifted youth explains his theatrical company was born from a deep frustration with the silence surrounding crucial regional history.
“Our goal is to become the leading curators of African history through artistic expression,” he adds.
Although lofty, the ambition is not as far-fetched as it might sound.
Their appearance in East Africa was their second international outing, having made their debut at the National Arts Festival Fringe in Makhanda, South Africa, in July.
Last year alone, Dramatic Scholars staged five different productions, two based on local stories and three bearing international plots.
They plan to produce at least five foreign-focused works in 2026, and have already secured invitations to perform in Egypt and Italy.
“For the longest time Botswana has been Africa’s best kept secret, we want to own the narrative and be the ones to tell our stories,” said Molefhi.
Working hand-in-hand with live band, Backyard Events Botswana, the movement is powered entirely by talented young Batswana artists who have embraced the unpaid responsibility of serving as their nation’s memory keepers.
All aged under 30, the group includes the youngest member, Mohau Bontsibokae, a 19-year-old University of Botswana (UB) student with a bright future on stage.
As is so often the case with the arts in BW, a lack of finances poses the biggest threat to that future.
“It is very unfortunate that we have to leave some of our team members behind for international performances, but since there is P200 million being injected by government into creatives, we are hoping for more support going forward,” notes Molefhi, adding the trip to Kenya was entirely self-funded.
While the ensemble received in-kind support from dedicated individuals, such as their Producer, Flex the Nigga, they carried the bulk of the financial burden themselves, a testament to their unyielding dedication to ensure Botswana’s story was told on a global platform.
Dramatic Scholars is now preparing for its next major undertaking, the highly-anticipated ‘Dikgang Tsa Merafeseries’.
For Molefhi, the mission is far more than theatre; it is an act of cultural preservation.
As the invitations stack up from across Africa and Europe, Botswana’s powerful, untold stories are finally travelling, and the world is leaning in to listen.
