Back and Next - Back and NextHERITAGE: Discovering Theatre in The Gambia
Thursday, January 15, 2009
It is now 4 months since I have been in The Gambia, researching story telling and theatre from a West African perspective. I was originally disappointed to find that Gambian stories are not commonly wide spread in society or as part of the National Curriculum.
I then went about exploring the local theatre scene. I was invited to The Jerma Beach Hotel to see a play called ‘Our husband has gone mad’, an award winning comedy by Nigerian play write Ola Rotimi and directed by Gambian Janet Badjan-Young. It was an excellent ‘African play’, seen by an audience capacity of around 200, but it was not a Gambian play. Did it matter that it was a Nigerian play? No, because I am researching from a West African perspective.
However, I have fallen in love with The Gambia and would like to see her heritage flourish, which means seeing things that are authentically Gambian. I later spoke to Janet Badjan-Young who said
“I have written and directed Gambian dramas like ‘The Dance of Katchikali’ and ‘Hand of Fate’. Known as ‘Auntie Janet’, she studied theatre in the UK during the 1960s and received a Diploma. In the USA she received a Master of Science Degree in Broadcast Administration and has been involved in various media roles in countries such as Nigeria and Trinidad. Describing herself as a communicator, she has also worked for the UN, giving information on activities.
Continuing she explained “The event was to raise funds in aid of a theatre for children and performing artists. With a central place to train young people, we can begin to form our own creative identity, just like what Nigeria has. Nigeria is using the arts to be culturally unique and what they are producing is binding people together. We have the talents but we need a platform and training to make use of what we have”.
While talking to Auntie Janet I considered the benefits that a theatre would bring. I thought about talents such as Fulla Acrobats and other excellent entertainment that would emerge. Then I thought about the ‘living theatre’ which takes place every day in The Gambia that is easily ignored, yet should be celebrated. It is important to note that theatre does not have to have a stage, flashing lights and a seated audience; it can take place in any given setting.
I am an informal associate of the Centre for Applied Theatre Research (CATR) at the University of Manchester. Jenny Hughes the Director explains “CATR works to research and practice theatre and performance initiatives beyond traditional theatre settings. Our research and practice projects have encompassed theatre in places of conflict, museums and heritage sites, the criminal justice system and youth services sector”
The ‘living theatre’ which forms as part of every day life in The Gambia is just as captivating as any formal theatre. It can clearly be seen in rituals and ceremonial practices. Throughout the rainy season I have witnessed the Mandinka kankurang parading in the streets and into compounds dressed in full costume, wielding their two machetes accompanied by drums, singing, dancing and clapping, while others wave small branches of mango leaves.
Large crowds are attracted to the parade, which is largely made up of screaming children, afraid of the fierce looking kankurang, but who can not resist having a closer look or even taking the risk of being chased by the dancing spirit.
I learnt that circumcision ceremonies usually take place during the rainy season during school holidays. Many children turn their attention away from poking sticks or throwing stones at the large black and yellow rain spiders that seem to be everywhere. Instead they dress up as kankurangs, beating used tins as drums, chasing each other and forming their own entertainment. The Mandinka Kankurang delivers classic street theatre from a West African perspective.
Perhaps I was missing the point when I previously said Gambian stories are not commonly wide spread in society. The longer you stay in a place, the more layers you get to see. Recently I was at a family compound in Bundung when we experienced a power cut. Candles and torches were brought out and the grandmother in her local language began telling a story to the children and few adults that were there.
As she fanned herself to keep cool, she sang during parts of the story and those listening joined in. I got the basic translation that ‘there once lived a very beautiful and fussy girl who did not want to marry any man whose skin was blemished. One day, she met a perfectly smoothed skinned man who turned out to be a snake. By the time she discovered her fate, it was too late...’
People in the compound complained about the inconvenience of the power cut, but I couldn’t help but enjoy the atmosphere of the candles flickering and the children gathering around grandmother fully engaged in her story.
So here I am, enjoying a rich experience surrounded by everyday theatre. I imagine that most Gambians would not recognize the richness of their own theatre, simply because they take it for granted as their norm. An example is the theatre performed by local police and soldiers. Last week in Bakau I saw a group of very tired looking soldiers running while singing in their local language.
The song was translated as, ‘A hunter was close to the stream looking for wild animals, waiting anxiously for hours. He was tired and his patience was running out. Just as he was on the verge of leaving he saw an antelope. The hunter used his skill and killed it at once’.
I contacted Private Badjie MA the Physical Training Instructor (PTI) at Fajarar Barracks to explore the theatre behind The Gambian armies training regime.“I run at a set pace with a minimum of 30 men a day for a minimum of 3 kilometers, then I take the men for further training at the beach”, said the 25 year old soldier, continuing “We sing selected songs in English, Mandinka, Wolof and Jola mainly to boost moral at certain points of the journey and to ultimately conquer the task.
Some songs are funny and light hearted, while others are serious. We clap while we sing and some soldiers shout out extra loud when they are touched by the spirit of the exercise. The whole activity attracts public attention and citizens are welcomed to join in with clapping and singing. Children often run along with us and have fun until they become tired. We entertain the public and are encouraged by their responses”. Auntie Janet showed reluctance towards my enthusiasm on the living theatre in The Gambia. She said
“We need more than story telling in compounds and street theatre. We need an actual theatre building with toilets, sound, music and lights so that we can be creative and show what we can achieve. Theatre is not just about entertainment, it is about raising awareness and encouraging social and political changes.
Charles Dickens and Bernard Shaw reflect this through their work. In the same way, we can use theatre to alleviate the causes of poverty and influence changes in areas such as immigration and illiteracy. The Gambia needs to wake up to the creative potential it has”.
I then went about exploring the local theatre scene. I was invited to The Jerma Beach Hotel to see a play called ‘Our husband has gone mad’, an award winning comedy by Nigerian play write Ola Rotimi and directed by Gambian Janet Badjan-Young. It was an excellent ‘African play’, seen by an audience capacity of around 200, but it was not a Gambian play. Did it matter that it was a Nigerian play? No, because I am researching from a West African perspective.
However, I have fallen in love with The Gambia and would like to see her heritage flourish, which means seeing things that are authentically Gambian. I later spoke to Janet Badjan-Young who said
“I have written and directed Gambian dramas like ‘The Dance of Katchikali’ and ‘Hand of Fate’. Known as ‘Auntie Janet’, she studied theatre in the UK during the 1960s and received a Diploma. In the USA she received a Master of Science Degree in Broadcast Administration and has been involved in various media roles in countries such as Nigeria and Trinidad. Describing herself as a communicator, she has also worked for the UN, giving information on activities.
Continuing she explained “The event was to raise funds in aid of a theatre for children and performing artists. With a central place to train young people, we can begin to form our own creative identity, just like what Nigeria has. Nigeria is using the arts to be culturally unique and what they are producing is binding people together. We have the talents but we need a platform and training to make use of what we have”.
While talking to Auntie Janet I considered the benefits that a theatre would bring. I thought about talents such as Fulla Acrobats and other excellent entertainment that would emerge. Then I thought about the ‘living theatre’ which takes place every day in The Gambia that is easily ignored, yet should be celebrated. It is important to note that theatre does not have to have a stage, flashing lights and a seated audience; it can take place in any given setting.
I am an informal associate of the Centre for Applied Theatre Research (CATR) at the University of Manchester. Jenny Hughes the Director explains “CATR works to research and practice theatre and performance initiatives beyond traditional theatre settings. Our research and practice projects have encompassed theatre in places of conflict, museums and heritage sites, the criminal justice system and youth services sector”
The ‘living theatre’ which forms as part of every day life in The Gambia is just as captivating as any formal theatre. It can clearly be seen in rituals and ceremonial practices. Throughout the rainy season I have witnessed the Mandinka kankurang parading in the streets and into compounds dressed in full costume, wielding their two machetes accompanied by drums, singing, dancing and clapping, while others wave small branches of mango leaves.
Large crowds are attracted to the parade, which is largely made up of screaming children, afraid of the fierce looking kankurang, but who can not resist having a closer look or even taking the risk of being chased by the dancing spirit.
I learnt that circumcision ceremonies usually take place during the rainy season during school holidays. Many children turn their attention away from poking sticks or throwing stones at the large black and yellow rain spiders that seem to be everywhere. Instead they dress up as kankurangs, beating used tins as drums, chasing each other and forming their own entertainment. The Mandinka Kankurang delivers classic street theatre from a West African perspective.
Perhaps I was missing the point when I previously said Gambian stories are not commonly wide spread in society. The longer you stay in a place, the more layers you get to see. Recently I was at a family compound in Bundung when we experienced a power cut. Candles and torches were brought out and the grandmother in her local language began telling a story to the children and few adults that were there.
As she fanned herself to keep cool, she sang during parts of the story and those listening joined in. I got the basic translation that ‘there once lived a very beautiful and fussy girl who did not want to marry any man whose skin was blemished. One day, she met a perfectly smoothed skinned man who turned out to be a snake. By the time she discovered her fate, it was too late...’
People in the compound complained about the inconvenience of the power cut, but I couldn’t help but enjoy the atmosphere of the candles flickering and the children gathering around grandmother fully engaged in her story.
So here I am, enjoying a rich experience surrounded by everyday theatre. I imagine that most Gambians would not recognize the richness of their own theatre, simply because they take it for granted as their norm. An example is the theatre performed by local police and soldiers. Last week in Bakau I saw a group of very tired looking soldiers running while singing in their local language.
The song was translated as, ‘A hunter was close to the stream looking for wild animals, waiting anxiously for hours. He was tired and his patience was running out. Just as he was on the verge of leaving he saw an antelope. The hunter used his skill and killed it at once’.
I contacted Private Badjie MA the Physical Training Instructor (PTI) at Fajarar Barracks to explore the theatre behind The Gambian armies training regime.“I run at a set pace with a minimum of 30 men a day for a minimum of 3 kilometers, then I take the men for further training at the beach”, said the 25 year old soldier, continuing “We sing selected songs in English, Mandinka, Wolof and Jola mainly to boost moral at certain points of the journey and to ultimately conquer the task.
Some songs are funny and light hearted, while others are serious. We clap while we sing and some soldiers shout out extra loud when they are touched by the spirit of the exercise. The whole activity attracts public attention and citizens are welcomed to join in with clapping and singing. Children often run along with us and have fun until they become tired. We entertain the public and are encouraged by their responses”. Auntie Janet showed reluctance towards my enthusiasm on the living theatre in The Gambia. She said
“We need more than story telling in compounds and street theatre. We need an actual theatre building with toilets, sound, music and lights so that we can be creative and show what we can achieve. Theatre is not just about entertainment, it is about raising awareness and encouraging social and political changes.
Charles Dickens and Bernard Shaw reflect this through their work. In the same way, we can use theatre to alleviate the causes of poverty and influence changes in areas such as immigration and illiteracy. The Gambia needs to wake up to the creative potential it has”.
Author: By Akiel Chinelo
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