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Theatre Review – ‘The Dance of Katchikali’

Fri, 09 May 2008 07:31:12 GMT

Friday, May 09, 2008

Last weekend, theatre-goers converged at the Alliance Franco Gambienne amphitheatre to see the latest from the Ebunjan Theatre Troupe. The presentation was ‘The Dance of Katchikali’, a dance –drama focusing on the genesis and legend of Bakau’s sacred crocodile pool.

According to a griot narrator, the Divine power had created the sacred pool in the midst of a small forest and placed there different spirits. The spirits represent all aspects of human aspiration and endeavour: wealth, success, fertility, good health, peace. The spirits take the form of crocodiles during the day and spirits at night. Higher than all the spirits, however, and shielding superior control over them, is the Great Spirit of the pool, named Katchikali. Everything seemed satisfactory and harmonious until the Divine power created humans, man and woman.

At that point in creation, harmony became destroyed and with it the beautiful environment that flourished, as humans wreaked havoc on their surroundings, chopping trees wantonly and generally creating a negative impact on the ecosystem. The spirits revenged by evicting humans from the forest, and Katchikali subsequently installs the Bojang family as custodians of the pool following a satisfactory test of the family’s loyalty, kindness, selflessness, and caring nature. The Bojangs care for the pool to this very day and assist those who visit the spirits with their various wishes, prayers and supplications.

The story is narrated with the support of the medium of traditional music and dance, with accompaniment of kora and drums. The effect ranged from quite strong to absolutely stunning. Much of this had to do with the deft and sprightly performance of the dancers. Eddie Mends Cole was in top form again as choreographer and dancer both: his imagination, creativity and effervescence never seem to wane. His magic was first revealed in the Troupe’s production of ‘The Magic Necklace’, and re-affirmed in the Troupe’s recent showing of ‘Hand of Fate?’ Professional koraist, Alhagie Mbye, led, accompanied, interspersed sounds with his kora adroitly between and through narrations, dances, songs, episodes, and still stayed as cool as a cucumber. Well, that’s a professional for you.

Esther Emeh, the great spirit of Katchikali, was as good as any spirit: how lightly she treaded, looking immaculate, noble, exalted, and emitting all the mystique she could muster. Of course the drama would not have been the same without the impactful narrating of Felix Downes-Thomas who played the part of the griot. His stage abililities were shown in Gogol’s ‘The Government Inspector’ as the shrewd Village Postmaster who unravelled the trickster Khlestakof, and as the concerned father in ‘Hand of Fate’ by Janet Badjan-Young. Other experienced actors included Ibrahim Ceesay who also featured in the Troupe’s performance of ‘The Government Inspector’ as well as in the Classic, ‘Man for All Seasons’. Marcel Thomasi and Ousman Jarju delivered the Prologue with great artistic flourish.

Some of the audience afterwards commented about the length of the performance which was judged and pronounced ‘too short’, and ending where previous plays of the Troupe broke for intermission. Comparatively short though it was, the show was yet enjoyable. What helped it gain ground and enthusiastic reception must have been in the area of stage effects, in particular sound effects, lighting, physical effects of smoke, trees, flowing river, and certainly its colorful and well-designed costumes.

The play’s brilliant director, Janet Badjan- Young, received a most deserved ovation at the end.

An artistic masterpiece! Congratulations Ebunjan Troupe!

Author: By Momodou Justice Darboe & Njie Baldeh

Ebunjan Theatre Troupe Returns in Grand -style with ‘Dance of Katchikali’

Fri, 02 May 2008 07:51:05 GMT

Friday, May 02, 2008

The EbunjanTheatre Troupe returns in grand-style with culture, tradition, music and dance, melded in a performance that can only be called spectacular.

The Dance of Katchikali is a dance-drama that narrates the story of Bakau’s Katchikali and how the sacred pool and its crocodiles came to existence. The story is made to go back to the beginning of time when the world was just a void, until the Divine Power created rocks, mountains, trees, and other geographical and physical features of the universe. Lastly, the Divine Power created Humans, both man and woman, to inhabit the earth. Before long, humans started devastating the environment, hacking away trees and all forms of foliage, an activity, which we all know, damages the environment and our delicate ecosystem. The end result was infuriating to the spirits that guarded the forests, not the least of whom was Katchikali, the great spirit after whom the area has been named. Katchikali hastily evicts humans from the surroundings and guardedly installed the Bojang family as custodians of the sacred pool. The Bojangs continue to take care of the pool and crocodiles to this very day.

The story is propelled by harmonious music and dance, reinforcing the central theme of the dance-drama which is the importance and need for harmony, peace, and protection of the environment for the greater good of creation including Man himself.

Ebunjan Theatre Troupe continues on their mission to promote art and culture of The Gambia.

It is, therefore, incumbent on Gambians in particular, to go all out in their hundreds to support the Ebunjan Troupe and the Gambia’s own culture.

The production is at Alliance Franco Gambienne on

Kairaba Avenue

on Friday and Saturday 2nd and 3rd May. The entry visa is only D200 for adults, and D50 for children. We should not miss this music- dance extravaganza which has the promise to be The Gambia’s artistic and cultural hit of the year.

Author: By Momodou Justice Darboe and Njie Baldeh

The Dance of Katchikali a dance drama by Aunty Janet Badjan Young

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:03:55 GMT

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

It’s through the mesmerizing dance and the properly measured steps in cadence under the spell of rich and melodious African music that the Katchikali story is told. It tells of the secret pool bearing its name in Bakau. It tells of the spirits of the pool and the Bojangs, custodians of the pool.

Katchikali is linked to the history of mankind and of a nation The Gambia. It is the source of wealth, fertility, success and happiness. It provides hope to the despair, a smile to the sad and a remedy to the ills. It is the cradle of humankind in ways that humans have no knowledge of. The dance drama to be presented will give a captivating story of Katchikali, the crocodile pool of Bakau, The Gambia.

The Ebunjan Theatre Troupe presents a dance drama in a one-act play with six scenes. The play is ‘based on a Gambian legend on how the Bojang family became custodians of Katchikali’. ‘It underscores the harmonious relationship between humans and their environment.’ The narrator, a griot, who is also the upholder of oral traditions and history, will begin to disclose the sacred story of Katchikali and of its coming to being.

He will relate, in a melodious voice accompanied by music, an excellent choreography and some onomatopoeia, the different stages of the existence of Katchikali and of its ‘children’ spirits. As the story unfolds, the spectator will be enthralled by colourful choreography and beautiful music. Shadows will rise to take form and translate the narration into reality.

Beautifully choreographed by Eddie Mends-Cole, skilfully narrated by Felix Downes-Thomas and accompanied by an excellent kora player, Alhagi Mbye, the Dance of Katchikali will grip its audience from the first scene all through. By the end of the story, the spectator will be in such trance that it will be hard to believe such a wonderful production can end.

Certain questions would have been answered though: what is the import of the crocodiles at the Katchikali pool? Why are women going there and talking to the crocodiles? Why is the Bojang dynasty the only curators of such a weighty and historic place such as the pool? Has the pool any particular tie to the people of Bakau or The Gambia at large? What are the forces that connect the pool to the Bakau inhabitants? Is it possible that it has special allure that we do not know of? If so, what are they? Answers to these questions can be found in this wonderful drama.

It is not surprising though that this piece of drama is of excellent taste and skilfully dramatized. The playwright and director is none other than Janet Badjan Young, fondly called Aunty Janet by all who know her. Aunty Janet has produced excellent pieces of drama in the last decade to qualify her as the most brilliant Gambian dramaturge of our time. She is presently the Chairperson of the board for the National Centre for Arts and Culture. Some of her plays have stirred great emotions and have received loud accolade from masters of the theatre and experienced persons in the area of literature.

She has set her mark and like all skilful dramaturge, she has taken pleasure in producing for the love of the theatre. Those who have seen The Battle of Sankandi staged in May 2002 at the Kairaba Hotel Conference Hall will remember Aunty Janet. It is a play based on the history of a battle between the indigenous people and the colonial masters caused by an unfortunate misunderstanding.

Aunty Janet is also the producer and director of the brilliant drama, The Ultimate Inheritance that was finally funded and filmed in real life setting in English, Wolof and Mandingo for its excellent taste and strong message. The Ultimate Inheritance tries to portray a traditional inheritance practice, which impacts negatively on women. The play also gives an account of the stigma associated with the diseases and the care for those infected with HIV.

Today, its film version is being projected throughout the country to sensitize people. Some of her other prominent works are the The Hand of Fate?, a play about early marriage, A Man for All Seasons and Sizwe Banzi is Death, the last two adapted from the senior secondary school recommended literature textbooks written by Robert Bolt and Athol Fugard respectively. The first of the last two is a classic play centred on the struggle of a man of principles and strong belief against a King and the last play is about racism and identity crises among blacks in the South Africa.

The Ebunjan Theatre is staging "The Dance of Katchikali" at the Alliance Franco-Gambienne this Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd May. Tickets are fixed at D200.00 for adults and students need only pay D50.00. The Play begins at 8pm prompt!

Author: DO