SAMUEL TAKES A BREAK…
Image credit — Marc Brenner
Samuel Takes A Break… In Male Dungeon No.5 After A Long But Generally Successful Day Of Tours by Rhianna Ilube.
In 2019, Ghana launched a campaign to welcome people from the diaspora for ‘The Year of Return’. The goal was for descendants of enslaved Africans to reconnect with the land of their ancestors, from the Caribbean, to the Americas and Europe. Many travelled to Ghana with this (and other things) in mind, to reconnect and close the circle that had been left open for over 400 years.
Samuel Takes A Break… In Male Dungeon No.5 After A Long But Generally Successful Day Of Tours is a remarkable play that highlights the damning effects and legacy of the slave trade. Rhianna Ilube’s debut play is a sharp and direct dramedy that is as humorous as it is piercing in how it subtly challenges our perceptions of tourism.
In the show's opening moments, the room erupts with laughter as we are introduced to Samuel (Fode Simbo), our senior tour guide of the Cape Coast Castle. Samuel is an antsy, excited and burdened young man who cares dearly about the history of the castle and his role as its storyteller. Samuel’s tours are hourly, and short clipped scenes take us through each of them. He deals with an endless amount of aggravating tourists, all played flawlessly by Stefan Asante Boateng and Tori Allen-Martin, before finally settling in their role as Trev and Letty.
The interactions portrayed by Stefan and Tori range from influencers, to couples deciding to relocate and invest in Ghana, the spirituals, some uninterested and some who were incredibly familiar. A particularly memorable moment unfolded as Tori portrayed the role of an Older British-Jamaican spending time to talk to her ancestors, narrating stories of the family history and returning gratitude to her ancestors for the prices they paid.
The continual drove of tourists begin to have an effect on Samuel. His shoulders droop, words become increasingly muddled, and as the day continues, his concentration fades in and out. It’s clear that these tours affect Samuel in ways beyond his own understanding. Fode Simbo is exceptional as Samuel, the journey of his character is embodied with ease and displayed with great confidence.
Orange is the ticket officer of the castle. Unlike Samuel, she is not burdened by the woes of the castle as her dreams are beyond the coast. She is vibrant, hilarious and brings a great balance to the room any time Samuel enters a state of anxiety and fear. Played by Bola Ajeku, Orange is over-elaborate in everything. From her pronunciations of Samuel's name to the details she gives when she is talking about the tourists.
From the beginning of the play, Orange has been pestering Samuel to take a break. It’s in the final act that we see the need for her request. Letty and Trev are on Tour 11 and they specifically request for Samuel. Throughout this tour, we see the journey of Trev and Letty’s relationship, Samuels breakdown and Orange's growth all in this one act. As the play draws to a close, the audience is treated to an abundance of revelations, yet not overwhelmed - a testament to the skills of Anthony Simpson-Pike and Ilube.
Praise must be given to the exceptional storytelling throughout the play, evident not only in words, but in props and costumes too. T-shirts with messages like "I'm back," "Are you happy to see me," and "Closing the circle" are donned by Stefan and Tori, further emphasising the focus of 'The Year of Return’.
To be able to tell an intense and weighty tale whilst allowing room for playfulness is what sets Samuel Takes A Break… In Male Dungeon No.5 After A Long But Generally Successful Day Of Tours apart. At no point does this play lose its sense of touch or purpose, in fact the audience leave with a great sense of joy as Samuel does in fact end up taking his break.
By Eniola Edusi.
★★★★☆
Samuel Takes A Break is showing at The Yard Theatre until 23rd March.
