OBURONI
WORK IN PROGRESS
I’m currently working on a one man poetry play called
OBURONI (White Man)
It is a play about difference, and indifference.
BRIEF
Based on a recent trip to the Agona (rural) region of ..Ghana.., ..West Africa.., OBURONI deals with themes of Race/Identity, Difference/Acceptance, Global Power relations and the ongoing Legacy of Slavery.
PROGRESS
The play has been written and is now going through its developmental stages to transform it from a written text into a full length poetry ‘show’, incorporating spoken word, prose, music, acting and drama/theatre principles.
I have begun doing sample readings from the play to ‘road-test’ the material – get audience feedback (which so far has been good!) most recently at a Black History Month Event Friday 31st October 2009 at Honor Oak Youth Club in SE London.
SAMPLE READING (1st 15 minutes) from OBURONI
@ Honor Oak Youth Club, Black History Month Event,
Friday 31st October 2009.
I knew I set myself a real challenge by deciding to read from my play in front of an audience of teenagers. How much of a challenge I didn’t realise until I arrived at the youth club and saw the stone-faced youth in front of me. This is not a ‘spoken word crowd’ I thought, they are not an audience used to sitting still and listening, providing the ‘quiet’ needed for a good poetry reading.
At the same time I thought to myself, if I can engage these young people, get them to listen, gain their interest, then I can conquer any audience with my material. So, yes, this was the very challenge I needed. Opening up the evening, I was surprised to see and feel the young people actually listening and absorbing my set! I acknowledge the personal achievement of being able to hold the attention of a group of today’s ‘tear away youth’ for 15 minutes without interruption!
Praise and recognition for my set was more forthcoming from some of the older members of the audience, including workers at the centre, parents and my Dad whom I was glad was there to support me! I realised, as I was reading my piece (performing it rather, animating it with the short attention span of the young in mind) that what I’m saying in my play is actually very relevant to the youth of today. I’m not the only one in ....Britain.... who has had headaches around Identity and Acceptance. In fact most non-white Britons (and increasingly whites too) can vouch for the pains, dilemmas and confusion surrounding our ‘identity’ and the ‘place where we belong’.
All in all, a Great start to the journey of my play on the road. I gained from this experience what I hoped to gain – encouragement, energy and the confidence to inject into taking the works forward.
Directly following my set was an excellent performance by spoken word all star EL CRISIS. His rhythmical conscious poetry gripped the youth, and his use of humour in some of his pieces got some much needed laughter to balance the ions in the atmosphere. Truthfully, I don’t think these youngsters knew how very blessed they were to get to see EL CRISIS, one of the Giants on the poetry circuit, free of charge on their very own doorstep!
After a Food break (where it was an effort to get my Dad out of the kitchen area – he can’t help himself, he loves his Jerk chicken and rice too much, Blame my Mum for that!) there was a short-but-sharp rap set by my good friend and Brixton based MC Artic Force. Performing his track ‘Mental Ghetto’ and handing out free promo CDs, his political Hip Hop vibe and very comfortable stage presence worked to loosen up any tension in the air, and was lyrically and musically right up the young audience’s street.
Finishing off the evening was a powerful talk by Motivational Speaker Sister Verse aka Tracey Jarrett Backayard.com.uk who reminded us (as black/non-white Britons) that we have to seek out our own history as it’s not in anyone else’s interests to teach it to us. What made her talk so engaging was that it was less of a talk and more of a live debate, involving everyone in the centre. I think everybody, regardless of age or position, gained something valuable from this inspirational end to a Great evening. Big Up to Angelique Thompson (Centre Manager)
(01/10/2009)