A Performance Review of James Ebo Whyte`s “The Ex Factor” Staging At The National Theatre, Ghana on April 4th, 5th, 6th, 11th, 12th, and 13th 2025.
Plot of the Play
Ebo Whyte`s The Ex Factor recounts the story of Panyin and Kakra(twins) who are blinded by their father’s wealth as they continue to live under his shadow. Coupled with the demise of their mother, they lead a carefree life and become deviant, promiscuous, and addicted to drugs at the university. Unbeknownst to them, their father hires a spy to monitor their activities. After graduation, Mr. Adom (the father) gives them a comprehensive report of all their activities on campus. He gives them a mansion each and a million to start their respective lives. He also gives them an ultimatum to vacate his house and become responsible adults.
During this exercise, Panyin makes a u-turn when her Ex-girlfriend (Viva) comes into the picture. After several attempts to rekindle her love, she declines but agrees to become Panyin`s Lawyer and business consultant and not his lover anymore. Viva transforms him into a successful man, leading him to find the ‘ Bone in the egg”. Meanwhile, Kakra gets jealous, deranged and acrimonious, blaming Panyin for destroying his life by introducing him to drugs, womanizing, while He (Panyin) now leads a successful life. He plans to avenge him and pulls a gun to murder his brother, but to his surprise, he discovers that the gun has no bullets. Viva and Mr. Adom all break down and joins Panyin as they encourage Kakra to forget the past and move on. Viva and Panyin rekindle their love and plans to marry. Mr Adom also promises to travel around the world with Kakra to make up for the time he had wasted.
This write-up captures 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 second night (April 4th, 2025), specifically 4pm the show and as such, analysis on the other nights will not be highlighted in this post.
Acting
With the acting, the four main performers, namely Panyin ( Pee) Kakra (Kay), Viva, and Mr. Adom, did extremely well. They pulled one another along and made it very lively and engaging.
Panyin did extremely well. Adrian Arun, who played Payin, really demonstrated that he was the eldest amongst the twins. His chemistry with his brother was perfect. His stage appearances in the opening scene made him look like a gangster. He controlled his brother and led him to become a drug addict, womanizer, etc. I liked the way he said ” Wonim red ?” which translates to Do you know red?” another way of introducing his brother to substance abuse. In the climax and falling action of the drama, he made the audience pity him. How he wept with his brother was very touching. That event affected the rest of the players on stage, like Viva who also broke down in tears. The body profile used in that scene was perfect as it created a spectacle (Profile Left, for Kakra & Profile Right for Panyin).
Great blocking there. Again, I commend him for being able to sing, dance to the songs, and then switch back to dialogues with ease. His relationship with his father was also great. I particularly loved the way he complained to his Dad that the offer was too small and that it should be increased. Also, he made a conscious effort to transform positively. How he reached out to his ex-girlfriend Viva on the phone to help invest his share of the money is a great testament. That phone call was done well and made the audience believe that someone was at the end of the phone. Moreover, one fascinating event that caught my attention was how he teased the supposed fiancé of Viva, “John”. It was very hilarious and artistic considering how he occasionally peeped into the window to describe the attire of John as “under 2,000 cedis man”. He achieved believability in the eyes of the audience. His other scenes with Viva were breathtaking. I enjoyed how he initiated love while Viva was strictly ready for business. The contrast was evident as he took things for granted and even failed to read the document from Viva before appending his signature. It was quite hilarious when he later referred to Viva as “Ma” as he followed her orders on what to do. That was very engaging. Again, in his office scene, the transformation is very evident. He behaved as a CEO and spoke with precision. Finally, he delivered his monologue well, especially in the scene where he held his late mother`s picture and spoke to her. That scene was emotional and added to achieving the Apostrophe effect.
My only challenge with him was that when he received the file that contained a report of his activities on campus (on the threesome), he read it too early, which created the impression that he knew the contents. That was an instance of mechanical acting. He could have stared at it for a while before reading out the contents.
Kakra was one of the actors who stole the night. Roland Awuah Amoah took the audience along with him. He behaved childishly and had a great rapport with his brother. One could feel his vibe with Panyin. The manner in which he recounted his bad days on campus was very engaging. Again, he wore a befitting facial expression to show his nervousness when his father told them that he had a report on all their activities on campus. Not only that, I must also commend him for the way he read the reports about himself. He made it very realistic and convincing as he unraveled the contents that informed that he used “Dragon spray” and he loved sex in school. Also,as a drug addict, he intermittently touched his nose with his hand and sniffed as if he were taking a drug in real life. That action communicated the idea that he was truly an addict. In addition, He presented himself as dumb or intelligent and fooled on the stage often. On several occasions, he misunderstood “Capital” (as in money) for Capital (as in the city), like Greater Accra. His “Carefree lifestyle” was registered in the choices of songs that he sang. Almost all his songs were about enjoying a luxurious lifestyle. I must commend him for his ability to blend singing, dancing, and acting effortlessly.
Moreover, the scene where he claimed that he had a gift for Panyin and Viva was very hilarious. He held the suspense as everyone thought that he was actually searching for the gift in his bag, only for him to present his empty hands and insult them using that derogatory word (“your mother`s cunt”). One thing that left a lasting memory in the mind of the audience was how he returned to his brother for help after spending his share of the money. He behaved like the prodigal son in the bible and played that scene well to the extent that it got the audience to join him in reciting his lines “Herr bro, you know me, herr bro, you know me too well oo”.
Finally, in the falling action where he pulled the gun, He made the audience pity him. The way he delivered the line “I failed to take my own life” while crying was very sad, the failed mission was very emotional. One must also not forget that he made the curtain call interesting as he fooled the audience into believing that he would insult the trio again. On the contrary, he said, “I love you all ” and added the love sign to show that he had forgiven them for whatever had happened.
Another performer who arrested the attention of the audience was Viva. Anastaklyn Darko killed her role. For once, I thought she was actually a lawyer in real life who was hired for the role. Perfect excursion of the role. Right from her entry to her exit, one could sense that she was a lawyer. She spoke eloquently and convinced all and sundry of her role. In her meeting with Panyin, she schooled him and was in a hurry to leave just to register her discomfort about his Ex, who broke her heart. She also delivered her lines well and had great facial expressions to convey meaning to the lines. The way she stressed on the lines like “you broke my heart”, ‘my love is not for sale”, “What do you mean by Monkeys play by seizes?”, ” bone in an egg”, ” stop fooling” all confirmed that she was on top of her game. Also, one cannot forget how she tricked Panyin into signing the document without reading; she had great control over him and orchestrated his transformation, and also led him to believe in Christ as well.
Her relationship with Mr. Adom was worth noting. It was a brilliant chemistry. She had a good body profile and negotiated the deal and sealed it with a handshake as a professional lawyer does. No fidgeting and stammering, brilliant blocking and perfect characterization. That scene was perfectly executed. I was also intrigued with how he flirted with Mr. Adom and yet rejected the “Romantic offer”. She must be commended for her ability to hold her breath when she sang, danced, and switched to acting when necessary.
Finally, in the final scene, she registered her disappointment when Panyin made her believe that he had another lady in the picture”. She used her facial expressions to register the shock. Again, she seemed lost as the dancers trooped to change her costume into a traditional wedding dress. She had mixed feelings and made the scene very romantic. She also made the curtain call very pleasing to watch.
And to the father Himself, Mr.Adom (played by Kwabena Anaafi-Gyartteng). Mr. Adom controlled the stage. Anytime he entered, his presence was felt as the owner of the mansion. He also had a voice that projected him as someone of great affluence. He used his baritone voice to make the one-million-dollar offer. Again, demonstrated his affluence in the way he laughed and pointed to his properties that he had acquired. Notwithstanding, he proved that he was a caring father who wouldn’t abandon his children after all the deviant behavior in school, and as which caused them to complete a 4-year programme in 7 years. In the light of these events, he comforted them. How he delivered the line “children of today” resonates with the given events that his children have lost their way.
In addition, he also engaged the audience when he recounted his youthful days as stubborn and nicknamed “Saman,” which translates to ” Ghosts,” and how his late wife tamed him through prayers. He made that scene very engaging. Not forgetting his claims that he persevered as a youth, when he sold Gari on the streets and washed over 5,000 plates a day to make a living. He sounded like how motivational speakers exaggerate their humble beginnings.
Moreover, his meeting with Lawyer Viva was also captivating. He spoke as a businessman and bargained well. The way he sealed the deal with a handshake was excellent. I particularly enjoyed the way he kept repeating “Viva, Viva” as he shook hands with the lawyer. Those compliments were executed well and created the impression that he was in love with her, to spite Panyin. In the same way, he sounded confident on the line ” Save my number as coup d’etat, because I am about to overthrow someone”. It was very engaging and forced his son to work harder to reclaim his woman. Also, he sang well and blended the songs with his acting. Finally, in the falling action, he made the scene emotional when he interrupted Kakra from shooting Panyin and encouraged Kakra not to give up. He also made the curtain call very lively with the choreographed dance.
The dancers did well. They used space and danced in unison. They enjoyed the Adowa dance and made it engaging. Their facial expressions and movements sent a message to the audience that a marriage ceremony was approaching. One spectacle that was observed was how they quickly costumed Viva into her traditional wedding attire. That was beautiful and swiftly done.
Technical Aspects
Lighting
The lighting crew for this production did well, but could have done better. The fade-ins and fade-outs were beautifully done. But other details could have been observed. For instance, in one of the scenes, the light kept changing from red to blue and green for no reason. That took away the beauty of the show. Again, the romantic scene between Panyin and Viva could have been enhanced with some blue stage lights to set the mood, but that was also missing. Also, there were some flashlights backstage, which looked as if someone was taking pictures backstage. That also destroyed the intended spectacle. Finally, there was too much light on the stage during blackout, so one could easily see the stagehands anytime they entered to set the scene. Aside from these, I suppose they did well.
Sound
The sound team did extremely well. The production lay on their shoulders. The house music for the production was good. In addition, Sound effects like the sound of a moving car, car horn, suspense sound, doorbell were great and enhanced the mood. The various songs sung by the players judiciously resonated with the events in which they were performed. Songs such as “Gone too soon”(performed by Mr.Adom and Sons), Minister OJ – “Ma Ye Se Mo Pen” (performed by Mr .Adom); Gasmilla’s “International Fisherman”,(performed by Kakra), Shatta Wale`s “Taking Over” (perfomed by Kakra), King Paluta ‘s “Apicki”(performed by Panyin and Kakra), Sarkodie’s “No sir”( performed by Mr. Adom), Captain Planet’s “Wo gye obi girl “(performed by Mr.Adom), Ebony ‘s ” Date Ur Fada” (performed by Viva), Shatta Wale’s ” On God” (performed by Panyin), Adele`s “When we were young”(performed by Kakra)and Osibisa’s ” Welcome Home” ( performed by Mr. Adom), etc all added to the characterization and mood of the play. I must commend the music band, the brass band, and the backing vocalist for such a great job. Sound did a decent job and ensured clarity of voice and harmony .
Set and Props
The set for this production was well built with great entrances and exits as well as routes that led to the bedrooms. Kudos to the set designer. The set depicted the elegant home of a rich family. The expensive sofa and pillows , curtain, Portrait of Maya Angelou (to show Kakra’s love for the arts), pictures of some celebrities like Ronaldo and Messi, tables, book shelves etc, all depicted the affluence and interest of the family. I must commend the team for creating a multiple set that converted the house into an office for Panyin just by removing the back curtain.
The props that were used included Boxes, envelopes, files, bags, money, mobile phones, gun, handbags, papers, pens, books , disposable cups, flowers, a walking stick, baskets, tobacco, etc, all enhanced the characterization of the players and brought the play to life .
Costume & Make Up
Generally, the costumes for this production were pulled well. The twins dressed like gangsters and had dreadlocks and necklaces to show their affluence.
Kakra in the latter scene was dressed in tattered clothes to depict his deplorable state, Mr. Adom was costumed as a business man and billionaire (his walking stick to complement his costume), Panyin in the latter scene dressed as a professional and trimmed his hair, and lastly Viva dressed as a lawyer in her meeting with Mr. Adom and costumed in a red straight dress in her other appearance. She was also artistically costumed by the dancers into the traditional wedding dress. The costumes of the dancers were also great. In addition to the costumes, there are traces of makeup on the faces of Viva and Kakra, complementing their costumes and characterization. Again, Mr. Adom also had some grey hair. I must commend the team for that excellent touch.
Mr. Adom in his costume and spraying cash
Audience Reaction
The audience really enjoyed the play. It was not surprising to find them clapping at the end of every scene. They enjoyed the performance of all four main performers, especially when the scene when Paynin was made to sign the fake documents. In the second attempt, he was very vigilant, and that got the audience laughing. One could say that the audience was emotionally involved in the production as they laughed, cried, and rooted as the performance was ongoing. One could hear the audience follow, respond, and repeat the dialogues of the actors. In some instances the audience responded ” Tell them, ‘You know me too well oo”, “Aww”, “AHH” etc. I can confirm that the audience had a good time.
I must also commend Uncle Ebo Whyte and Roverman Productions for the masterpiece. Great body profile by the performers. It was an exceptional piece that featured music, dance, and drama (total Theatre). In all, the play was captivating with all the actors on cue executing their respective roles perfectly. I rate it 9.8/10.
Written by Mensah Junior Raphael, BA Theatre Arts, UEW.
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