Following a successful partnership with the Spanish Embassy that saw the adaptation of the first Spanish play into an Afrocentric version last year, Ghanaian Playwright Latif Abubakar has again adapted another Spanish play that drew huge patronage over the weekend.
Laced with suspense and dance, the play, ‘Life is a Dream’, an adaptation of a Spanish script by Pedro Calderon de la Barca, had its setting in Gonjaland.
The audience, who were left in awe applauded in excitement as they were treated to a buffet of drama, music and dance, with each scene and act leaving them in great suspense.
Synopsis
The play tells the story of Prince Tijani, who had been imprisoned in a tower by his father, King Abdullah, following a prophecy that he would bring disaster to the Kingdom and ultimately the death of the King.
The plot started with murmuring from Prince Tijani, who had been locked up in the tower since birth recounting events of the last 30 years, wondering what exactly he had been imprisoned for, continued with him being released from prison to rule over Gonjaland as his father, King Abdullah, waited with bated breath to see if the prophecy would be fulfilled.
The play focused on morality, honour and vengeance, and centred on the conflict between free will and fate, and the restoration of one’s honour.
Featuring veteran actor, Ecow Smith Asante, Bright Kekeli Jefferson, Pearl Darkey, OB Black, Kofi Boakye, Abraham Macpratt Dadzie and Ghana Most Beautiful Winner 2020, Naa Deede Botchwey, the play explored issues of life’s confusion to awareness of reality and self-knowledge as well as the deepest mysteries of human experience.
Huge patronage
Birthed in 1635 and performed on almost all stages in Europe, the play adapted to Ghanaian and Afrocentric stage play for the first time and drew huge patronage that saw the International Conference Centre filled to capacity for all four shows.
Projecting Ghana’s theatre
Celebrated Playwright and Chief Executive Officer of Globe Productions, Latif Abubakar, said the partnership with the Spanish Embassy did not only focus on deepening the bilateral relationship between Spain and Ghana but arts and culture-projecting Ghana’s theatre industry to the world.
‘This partnership will again set Ghana on the world stage,’ he said.
Describing the production as an honour, Mr Latif Abubakar, who is adapting a Spanish play for a second consecutive time, said he was honoured to produce an Afrocentric version of the play in the country and on the continent for the first time.
Growing Collaboration
The Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Javier Gutierrez, commended Abubakar for the foresight.
He said the play highlighted the growing collaboration between Ghana and Spain in the arts and cultural sector.
‘Life is a Dream’ is in partnership with the Spanish Embassy, M and C Group, Spain-Ghana Chamber of Commerce, and The Second Coming of Nkrumah, and is supported by Graphic Communications Group Limited and Multimedia Group Limited.
Source: Ghana News Agency
