Legends of theatre was a struggle
Part of the cast of Legends of Theatre do their thing at the Easter weekend. PHOTO/X.COM/ UNCC
What you need to know:
- One of the things that stood out however, the shows did not scream legend as they were supposed to be.
If there's one thing we have to agree on, there was a time when theatre was a big deal. The times of Bakayimbira, with artists such as Andrew Benon Kibuuka, Charles James Ssenkubuge, and Aloysius Matovu Joy, to Black Pearls, who with Omugave Ndugwa launched artists such as Mariam Ndagire, the art was on the right track. All through the 1990s when Afri Talent and Diamond Ensembles were created.
However, of late, many have argued that theatre has fallen off and there are many reasons for that, some of which we cannot delve into. But the state of local theatre, as many who flock to venues such as Bat Valley Theatre and the former Pride Theatre know, has been dire. From the quality of work to the dwindling numbers, however, it is the quality of work that has forced legends to reclaim the art they love. Over the past few years, a super group of performers, producers and directors have been coming together under the moniker, Legends of Theatre. These include people such as Ibrahim Ssematimba Kagatto, Christopher Mukiibi, Dickson Zizinga and Ssebunya Benon.
The group of actors, mainly in the evening of their careers has been reuniting for more than three years to put on shows, some of which are retro works, while others are new material they have just released. From Abaasa N'abaasa to Gaasasika, the group has been putting on memorable shows mainly intended to introduce classics to a new audience or preserve them. This Easter season, the legends are back and it is an original production, Balya Nenseekezi - The Hypocrites written by Ibrahim Ssematimba and directed by Benon Ssebunya.
The production explores themes of deceit, betrayal and hypocrisy among friends, which has almost been a running theme for most of the plays written by playwrights from Uganda’s golden age of theatre. For instance, all plays such as Ndiwulira, Akakomo, Muduuma Kwe Kwaffe or even Alex Mukulu’s 30 Years of Bananas, directly or indirectly tackled deceit either from humans or the state. Balya Nenseekezi is, however, not a random title a playwright chooses, the title is a luganda wordplay for traitors. The play looks at various ways people use others for their own benefit even without caring about how this hurts the people they are doing it to.
One of the things that stood out however, the shows did not scream legend as they were supposed to be. It was a show where some of Uganda’s legends of theatre were on stage, but the traffic for the time the shows were on did not say that this was the big deal everyone in the theatre circles thought it was.
The theatrical run of Abaasa N'abaasa was mainly a mess from poor attendance, time keeping and the total lack of agency; for instance, for two of the final days, the auditorium was double-booked with a children’s festival, which at times went on until the evening. This meant that the shows ended up starting later than planned. It is almost a stark reminder that the people making theatre and the people meant to see theatre are two worlds apart, which is something theatre has known for a time.
Shows at Bat Valley, National Theatre and a few other theatres have been failing to get bodies in auditoriums for a time now. For us who turned up, we enjoyed the show, but not the way it was meant to be enjoyed; theatre is meant to be enjoyed with an audience; the absence of that leaves the experience missing a cast.
