Lusaka - Last weekend, the Lusaka Playhouse came alive with "Fire Next Time." This play evoked the audience to look at street kids in a different light.

The play’s refreshing angle gave the kids on the street a human face as most of them have been found to be on the street because they have lost their parents either due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, ill treatment by their parents or guardians and poverty.

"The fire next time" revolves around the gang from "The House of Wisdom" which includes gang leader Chotaya, Seba — Chotaya’s right hand man, Yusufu — Chotaya’s older brother, Msamariya — Chotaya’s girlfriend, Tool boy and Chizola — Chotaya’s minions as they all reflected on how they got into the streets.

The play, however, came to a crescendo when the characters of Nchimunya and Kaole entered the play. Nchimunya, Director of the Hope Centre, an NGO established to help street kids, and played by Claude Mulundu and his assistant Kaole, played by Linda Muwowo Sakala, find themselves embroiled in a dangerous situation.

Nchimunya, together with Kaole, finds himself in the centre of a crisis as he endeavours to better the life of street kids as he confronts the inhabitants to find an alternative location to inhabit as the NGO had purchased the piece of land in order to build a centre for orphans.

Nchimunya finds himself questioning his dream of helping street kids as his ordeals instead bring him more questions than answers.

It is in this moment that the truth plummets Nchimunya into shock when Chotaya during a search of Nchimunya’s belongings for any cash the group can use, he discovers a picture of Nchimunya’s father, a man who is in fact his father. This is one of the revelations that shake Nchimunya and make question the relevance and efficacy of his work.

It is at this moment that Chotaya and his gang refrain from harming Nchimunya and Kaole after he reflects on the weight of the occasion, although not without leaving with the ration money, which had been in Nchimunya’s vehicle.

Chanda Mulenga, Kamwengo Vunda Lungu and Victor Mweetwa played supporting characters of Chizola’s uncle and Aunty and Hope Director respectively.

Key characters were Chotaya played by Mostern Mutale, Seba by Taonga Liwewe, Yusufu by Lee Nonde, Masamariya by Nyambwisa Musonda, Tool Boy by Goerge Shawa and Chizola by Dominic Sitamu.