For the hundreds who thronged the National Theatre on Wednesday, August 30, 2017, to watch the premiere of Uncle Ebo Whyte’s latest production, ‘The Comeback’, the journey back home, was most likely with broken ribs from laughing too hard.
The nine-cast drama centred on Jojo, a renowned footballer from Ghana who has returned home after losing a contract with a foreign club due to an injury. With a noticeable deficiency in the English language, Jojo takes the audience through his life of betrayal, love, forgiveness, and determination.
From scene to scene, patrons are taken through various emotions, with the atmosphere charged with laughter. Imagine hearing adages like ‘the devil you know and the angel you don’t know both know you’ instead of ‘the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know’. What comes to mind when you hear, “God is my refuge and my stone” or “our elders say when you are unhappy suck your own breast”?
This and much more got the audience rolling on the ground with laughter.
Speaking to the media after the premiere, the playwright urged Ghanaians to patronize theatre acts in the country so as to ensure growth and sustainability in the industry.
According to Ebo Whyte, the introduction of some new initiatives like an LED backdrop is to enhance the act and raise the standard of the production.
“It’s obvious that this introduction is very expensive and eats deep into our pocket, but the response was positive and it’s always good to try something new. We have to get to that point where our shows can compete with other globally and like I always say if Shakespeare and the rest had access to the kind of technology we have now they would have used it. So why can’t we explore new things,” he said.
‘The Comeback’ follows previous productions from Roverman like ‘Damaged Goods’ and ‘Blackmail.’
It will be opened to the public at the National Theatre on Sept 2 and Sept 3 and Sept 9 and Sept 10 at 4 pm and 8 pm each day.
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By: Felicia Osei/citifmonline.com/Ghana