FORMER teacher Nicola Howard will soon be swapping the comforts of her home in Dawlish for a very basic lifestyle in Africa to help bring joy to local children.

For six months, Nicola will live in Zambia with her three-year-old son Eric to help promote enjoyment of the arts in the country.

It will be their second visit this year after enjoying a six-week stay in April. For both it was their first trip to Africa and during that time Nicola enabled thousands of schoolchildren and orphans to enjoy their first taste of live theatre.

While trips to the theatre are taken for granted in this country, it is an experience that just doesn't exist in the city of Lusaka, where Nicola stayed.

With a group of local actors, the 37-year-old was able to recreate the English tradition of a Punch and Judy show, providing a brief escape from their problems.

"My visit was about bringing happiness and something that was fun and entertaining to children," explained Nicola, a community arts worker.

"I know a girl from Dawlish who is over there working for Voluntary Service Overseas. She kept saying to come over, but I always seemed to be doing something. In the end I decided if I booked tickets to go that would be it.

"I had no idea what I was going to do when I got there, but she assured me I would be able to do so much.

"The day after I arrived I saw a group of actors rehearsing. We got chatting and I said I thought they should do a play for children. I suggested Punch and Judy because there would be lots of scope for plenty of characters, which we needed as there were 16 people in the cast."

As Punch and Judy is an English tradition, Nicola first had to explain the concept of a show, its humour and famous stick-wielding glove puppet. The reaction it received when they took it on the road still puts a smile on Nicola's face.

She recalled: "We took it out on tour around schools and orphanages, and pitched up spontaneously at a couple of markets.

"The schools are so vast with about 1,000 pupils. We had to stop performing at one school as there were no teachers to control the crowd. It was like being at a rock concert.

"It was a bit scary but it was also really exciting because they just lapped it up.

"The actors were all young people, aged between 15 and 28, and were so keen and enthusiastic. As there's no work for them in Zambia they decided they might as well do something so got together to do theatre and dance. They are very talented and were so committed. That's why I said I would come back."

True to her word, Nicola and Eric will be returning in November and staying for six months.

Nicola, a former teacher at Kenton Primary School, said: "This time it's serious stuff. It gives me a good amount of time to get my teeth into it. Before there was no time to plan it with the group or look for money."

Before Nicola leaves she is first directing Kenton's annual pantomime, which is being staged in October.

Nicola is also responsible for setting up Kenton Kaotics with Teignmouth composer David Haines. By securing lottery funding from Awards for All they have been able to stage musical plays and adaptations of Macbeth and The Tempest.

She also performs under the unusual stage name Mitzi Maybe. Accompanied by a pianist she performs cabaret-style music from the 1930s to the 50s at local venues.

Nicola revealed: "It's something I came up with my mum years ago and started doing about six years ago. If you're doing it on a part-time basis it takes a long time to build.

"A lot of the time I find it quite difficult to focus, apart from when I'm doing theatre or singing.

"Theatre was something that engaged me at school and singing was something my mum always loved.

"The reason I really wanted to try to have a go at more performing was because my mum died about seven years ago. She never did anything with her singing apart from being in choirs.

"I used to say to her to get singing lessons, but I think if you don't do it you get past the point you believe you can. It made me think I should have a go.

"It's unlikely I will be world-famous now, but it's just the fact I'm doing it. It's a way of self-expression and feeling emotional fulfilment I don't necessarily get in the rest of my life."

Nicola also hopes that it will have a positive influence on her young son's life, especially when they return to Africa.

She said: "For Eric it's different because there's not the toys or other things he's used to, like play parks. I think it will make him more resourceful and it will be good for him to see children who are different."

Nicola's next gig as Mitzi Maybe is on Sunday, August 23, at the Carlton Theatre, Teignmouth, when she will be joined by other musicians.