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Contact:
Primus Hutchinson
Wednesday, July 28, 2004 - The Cultural Development Foundation in
collaboration with the Jubilee Trust Fund is gearing to present a revival of the
1956 musical by Roddy Walcott, Banjo Man. This musical is one of the activities,
marking Emancipation Month, which begins on Sunday, August 1, 2004. Banjo Man
opens on August 26, 2004 at the Cultural Centre.
At a press launch on Wednesday, July 28, 2004, Executive Director of the
Cultural Development Foundation, Teddy Francis described Banjo Man as a play
that exposes and provides a deeper understanding of the island’s rich cultural
heritage, particularly to the present generation.
“We are confident that this production will serve, through the participation of
the cast, they are really now for the first time understanding the very richness
of this aspect of our culture, and we are happy to have this so concretise.”
Monsignor Patrick Anthony, representing the Jubilee Trust Fund called upon the
cast of Banjo Man to feel that they part of a national tradition: “It is not
just a production of Banjo Man. Robert (Roddy Walcott) has given you the
history; that history is part of a long history of cultural resurgence; of a
cultural renaissance that we hope will one day culminate in a national theatre
here in St. Lucia.”
Local Playwright and Consultant to the cast, Kendel Hippolyte said that the
tremendous effort, which went into reviving and staging Banjo Man would manifest
into some of the most eye- catching features of St. Lucia’s architectural
traditions.
Said Mr. Hippolyte: “Everything from the set design, which I think, when we see
it, when the world sees it, when you as cast members see it, bring together some
of the architectural features of St. Lucia - the old time Jalousie, the eves,
and so on. When people look at this production visually, just to see the set and
to see the costuming, before somebody speaks a word, before some one sings a
line, we will be seeing St. Lucia celebrating ourselves with the rest of us.”
Banjo Man is directed by George “Fish” Alphonse, with music by Barbara Cadet.
The original music was composed by Charles Cadet.
The play is sponsored by AT&T Wireless to the sum of $20,000 dollars.
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