This is to aid students writing English B at the 2015 Caribbean Secondary School Examination (C.S.E.C), on May 13. It will be held on various days at the Theatre Guild in Kingston.
This initiative targets students in both government and privately owned schools.
The novel is based on a young village belle, Sidi, who is very confident about her looks and her dramatic relationship with a school teacher Lakunle, who refuses to pay the bride price because he views this cultural norm, as well as many other traditional practices of the village, as barbaric.
The young teacher is contrasted by Baroka, the lion. Both of them courts Sidi but Baroka maintains the traditions of the village and views progress as something that promotes sameness, or a lack of difference.
The play is being choreographed by Executive Director of Top Cat Production, Godfrey Naughton; is Soyinka’s best known one and is set in traditional African scenery. Soyinka won the Nobel Prize for literature back in 1986. The novel portrays themes such as old versus young, women in society, colonization and masculinity.
This dramatic piece consists of a cast of thirty five members – which includes the Bishop’s High School performing arts class. They will incorporate drumming, spiritualism, rituals and various African songs to give its audience a better understanding of the actual novel.
‘The Lion And The Jewel’ headline cast includes: the lion Baroka which is being played by Clinton Duncan. Sidi – the Jewel Ilujinte, will be played by Mosa Moteifa Telford, Keifer Smith will portray the character Lakunle, the treacherous wife Sadiku will be played by Candacy Baveghems and the final wife Ailatu will be portrayed by the lead singer Kim Fernandes.
The dances in the play are choreographed by Clive Powell, who is the director of the Classique Dance Company.
In a brief interview with Mr. Naughton, he said that dramatizing these literature novels is the best way students will understand English Literature and be more successful at the C.S.E.C. He stressed that in 2010 the pass rate for English B was a mere 38.76%.
And without hesitation in that same year the Ministry of Education staged August Wilson’s ‘Fences’, followed by a dramatized version of the C.S.E.C text, ‘Old Story Time’ by Jamaican writer Trevor Throne in 2011, which were both held at the National Cultural Centre.
There has been a commensurate improvement in Literature performances, more so in the drama papers since the staging of these plays Naughton said. He further added that back in 2010 the Caribbean Examination Council held a conference and avowed that there is a need for more role play for the novels used for the CSEC.
The itinerary for ‘The Lion and The Jewel’ is as follows: general public on February 21, 22, 28 and March 1 at 20:00hrs. On February 25, 27 and March 2 to 5, it will be opened to school children from 13:00hrs.
Persons desirous of attending the staging can uplift tickets from The Theatre Guild, Nigel’s Supermarket and the various secondary schools across the country.
