Frances Black - Projects Abroad
Photography by Laura White
The Ghana Dance Ensemble and The Ghana Drama Troupe, Abibigroma, presented a lively, energetic and colourful version of the classic Cinderella story today, mixing great acting with upbeat songs, dance and music, to create a unique and varied storytelling experience.
The cast, which included Edinam Atatsi, Dzifa Glikpoi and Mawulie Semevor, confidently threw themselves into the roles, and made the play hugely entertaining and fun to watch; they always made sure to engage with the audience, who were predominantly school children. The actresses playing the ugly sisters stood out particularly, making sure that they came across as the spoilt, bullying baddies that every good fairy tale requires. Also standing out was the play’s narrator, whose keen enthusiasm and confidence brought the story to life, and whose animated delivery engaged and drew in the audience.
Unfortunately, despite the obvious passion and hard-work contributed by all those involved in the production, technical problems with the sound system and the microphones used by the actors blighted the performance throughout, and meant that it was often very difficult to hear what was being said. The ominous groans and squeaks of reverb often dominated the air, and sadly this greatly affected the ability of the audience to follow everything that was happening on stage. Credit and praise, however, must be given to the actors and actresses, who took the problems in their stride and did not falter in delivering convincing and vibrant performances for the school children, despite the technical hitches.
Overall, Cynderama was an interesting and lively twist on the traditional, universal tale of the triumph of the underdog, and which in spite of the technical difficulties showed that the actors and musicians involved have a fantastic show and a natural flair for storytelling and entertaining audiences.
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