A Performance Review of Yaw Asare`s “Desert Dreams” Staged At The SCA Theatre, Central Campus (University of Education, Winneba) on 20th – 23rd March, 2025.
Synopsis of the Play
The play is set in the middle of the Sahara Desert, where five able-bodied youths embark on a journey on foot with the goal of reaching Europe, dreaming of better opportunities. Through a series of outbursts caused by personality conflicts and a common enemy, the raging desert storm, their journey turns into a sheer struggle for survival of the fittest. As fate would have it, the desert swallows them as Haruna their agent scams them. They are now caught in a vacuum along with their dreams of a seemingly unreachable paradise.
This review takes a closer look at the performance review or analysis of the theatrical elements (acting, light, sound, costume, makeup, set, props, audience reaction, and the overall impact). This review will only focus on the events that took place on the third night (March 22nd, 2025), and as such, comments from the other nights will not be highlighted in this post.
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Acting
In the opening scene, the actors had a great stage presence. They were panting as they spoke creating the impression that they were tired or exhausted after a long trek. The character Amina who was Jemima Halima Jibrin understood her role. She convinced the audience and took them along, anytime she mentions the name of her lover (Haruna), the audience reacted well. I particularly like how she used the stage as she advertised her breast to solidify her occupation as a pimp. Her best stage moment was where Oklu dragged her for bathing with the little water meant for drinking . Also, she “killed “the scene where she did a role play of her dream job(air hostess). She broke the fourth and made it very believable. Again, the way she screamed at the mention of “spiders” was such a spectacle. In addition, her chemistry with the fellow actors were also good, especially the scene where she recounted her rape experience when she was a teenager. Her relationship with Mansa, Atongi, Tetteh was great. Not forgetting how she ironically continued to defend Haruna who scammed them and left them in the desert. Finally, the way she parted ways with her friends was touching, she enjoyed her music as she bid them farewell and exited the stage.
Again, the Rasta man (Oklu) was also interesting to watch. His dreadlocks alone gave him the stage presence. He had a great Jamaican accent that made him more believable. Only that there were scenes where he dropped the accent but I was glad that he picked it up again with words such as”Jah ”. He commanded the stage as he led the group in their expedition. One great spectacle was when he admonished his friends to call on their object of worship to bring them luck. He was very brave and courageous especially with the way he entered the cave to inspect if it was safe to be an abode. Again, the way he slapped Amina for bathing with the little water left was very believable. Furthermore, he handled the role play scene artistically. I particularly enjoyed how he transitioned the story telling session into a theatre performance (kpanlogo dance). I liked how he broke the fourth wall to solicit for money from the audience who were enjoying the show from the supposed theatre group. Following the performance, there was a conflict surrounding how the profits should be shared . The conflict was also well weaved. I must commend him for a good job done especially with the way he switched back from the character of a theatre director back to Oklu. Also, he read the letter well and made it very interesting to listen to. Finally, his last monologue which registered his hallucinations that he had reached his dream land, France was well delivered and carried great emotions. Cutting himself and using his own blood as an ink to write “RIP OKLU” and he passed out was also brilliantly done. Kudos to Patrick Apprey for that great acting.
Atongi was also very interesting to watch. Emmanuel Afealete who played the role carried the audience with him. He handled his monologues well and made the audience laugh. He brought a special vibe on stage particularly his accent and his local string instrument. I enjoyed the way he played the strings to entertain Amina which led to their erotic conversation. It was too not shocking to find him attempting to rape Mansa. Again, he also projected the intensity of struggle for life in the desert when refused to share his water with Tetteh. He also acted well when he was guarding the cage and utilized the stage very well. The manner in which he fought with Oklu for power struggle was also engaging. Not forgetting his fight with Tetteh. It was very hilarious and an interesting sight as well. I must also commend him for his excellent facial expression to register his discomfort when he saw Mansa and Tetteh sleeping together. He also made the prayer scene visually pleasing and he positioned himself well as he called on his god. Finally, during the falling action, he carried a lot of emotions as he parted ways with Oklu.
Mansa was very calm and reserved on the stage. There was one thing no one could take from her, and that was her facial expressions. She reacted to almost every conversation with her facial expression and gestures even before she spoke. Her reaction to Haruna and Amina`s love affair was believable as she seemed to be surprised and lost at the same time. Also, the manner in which she dashed out her “shito” was good. I particularly loved the way she responded to the claims that she is innocent. Her line “who says I am innocent?” was delivered well and she interspersed it with her facial expressions. Also, she really engaged the audience when she recounted her ordeal of being married to an old man. Again, through her panting, she made the audience believe that she was nearly raped by Atongi. The chemistry between her and Tetteh was exceptional. I loved the way she proposed to Tetteh after listening to his heartbreaking story. That scene was very romantic. Finally, Jennifer Abena Botchwey who played the role of Mansa registered her flaming desire to leave the desert when denied that she knew Tetteh when the “De beers “(the two travelers) came to their rescue.
Tetteh was also quite interesting to watch. Ishmael Tetteh Otoo who played Tetteh embodied the aura of Ga man who seemed to be illiterate. My challenge with him was that he sometimes struggled with some of the lines and swallowed them. Also, there was an instance of Mechanical acting. The scene where he took the picture out of his pocket wasn’t well managed, he should have stared at the picture for a while and admired it before adding his dialogues but he did too quickly and it broke the intended effect. Notwithstanding, he also did well. He made the story session very engaging when he made corrections on the story about Jonah who was swallowed by the whale and not Isaac. He also made the Kpanlogo dance very energetic. His chemistry with Mansa was exceptional and believable. His reaction to Mansa`s attempted rape is commendable. He also handled his monologues well especially how he recounted his journey as a fisherman, Fetish boy and young Pastor who suffered from a broken heart .
Haruna had a good time with the audience. James Oduro handled the role well. He served as a link between the audience and the actors. He had a unique accent which communicated his roots. However, he couldn’t maintain it through the production and dropped it intermittently and picked it up occasionally. Also, He seemed to have read some lines instead of acting it out. Some pregnant pauses in between lines could have helped him carry the day. Aside from these, he did well. I enjoyed the way he engaged the audience. His lines such as “You think I am Wicked?”, “spirits of the desert”, “Juicy Amina” got the audience engaged. Also, He rode the camel artistically to create the realistic effect. In furtherance, when he robbed, he registered it through his inflections that he was in pain. Finally, the way he acknowledged “Dessert Justice” as a punishment for his evil treatment was very emotional. Not forgetting how he sobbed over the death of Oklu.
Mr. and Mrs. De Beers was also an interesting couple to watch. Stella Johnson who played Mrs. De Beers convinced the audience that she was truly a white lady. I liked her accent and mannerism. She fanned herself occasionally to register the heat in the desert. The way she conducted the inspection of teeth, body before settling on Mansa was true to life . Her husband (played by Samuel Edem) also complimented his wife in deciding on Mansa who was to be the “companion for their dog”
Now to the dancers, they were very energetic. I like the choreography at the beginning. Only that the canon movements that transitioned into the palm could have been done better. Some dancers missed their cues and it affected the body shape that created the palm tree effect. Aside from this, their welcome dance which introduced the camel was very energetic. I must also commend them for the beautiful choreography that was used to attack and rob Haruna .
Technical Aspects
Lighting & Sound
The light for this production didn’t impress me that much. The light came in too early to reveal the set and was later put out. This broke the effort before the show began. Also, a blue light could have been used in the love scene between Mansa and Tetteh to enhance the romance. Apart from this, they did quite well by spotting Haruna and the actors who broke the fourth wall. They also did well by creating day and night effects on the stage. The flicking of the light during the thunder sound and the red light that flooded the stage during Oklu`s suicide scene reinforced the mood.
The sound team didn’t have good house music for the production which wasn’t too good. The songs of Sarkodie, Black sheriff, King Promise, Omar Lay, Ayra Starr and Fireboy DmL which were played before the production began were too many . Also, these songs had no bearing on the play and didn’t resonate with the critical issues addressed in the play. Kofi Kinaata`s song on illegal Migration could have been a better theme song for the play but it was played at the end of play. Aside from this, sound cues such as moving car, Suspense sound, “scary night” sound, the thunder ,bull dog, Moving wind on the dessert and the Rastafarian song all heightened the mood of the production.
Set and Props
The set for this production was great. Kudos to the set designer Mohammed Shamsu. The backdrop depicted the desert scene. Also, the cave was strategically positioned and I love the fact that actors could climb and move to the top of the cave. The dancers, Oklu, Mansa and Atongi utilized the set very well. With the props, the camel was a spectacle. I enjoyed the way it was used. Atongi`s string instrument and torchlight were also utilized well, the Camera, Telescope , Fan( used by De Beers), “shito”, gallon, lipstick, mirror, Travelling bags, “Ghana must go” , the dagger(used by Oklu and the dancers), Letter(read by Oklu), Picture(Tetteh) all enhanced the characterization of the players. One fascinating event was how Amina`s headphones were never charged yet it was always working in the desert where there was no electricity. Another blunder was that the props team failed to produce dollar notes to enhance the role play scene. Oklu mentioned that the total revenue was over $1,500 while he was holding Ghana cedis. The props team could have strategically planned fake dollar notes in the audience for this effect.
Costume & Make Up
Generally, the costumes for this production were pulled well. Haruna was costumed as a Muslim who played the middle man role in the desert. Tetteh and Atongi`s attire were soaked with sweat while Amina and Mansa were carefully pulled to depict their role. Oklu dressed as Rastafarian and had dreadlocks too. There were instances of special effect make up. When Haruna was robbed one of his ears was slashed off, his left leg was wounded and there blood all over his chest .Oklu`s blood used for the inscription “RIP OKLU”
Audience Reaction
The audience enjoyed the play. They enjoyed the production. Especially the character of Amina and Atongi. I also commend the Dr. Samuel Arko Mensah for treating the play well. Exceptional blocking of the scene especially where the players prayed to their object of worship . Overall, the play was handled well considering the lengthy monologues of some of the players and also breaking of the fourth wall. I will rate this production 8/10.
Written by Mensah Junior Raphael, BA Theatre Arts, UEW.
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