Luswata turns to poetry
Over the weekend, Luswata turned a new page with a poetry production that was as much a recital as a dramatisation, at the Goethe Zentru in Kamapala.
Aganza Kisakka (left) with Phillip Luswata and a fan at Goethe Zentrum in Kampala. (Photos by John Musoke)
By Alfred Byenkya
Journalists @New Vision
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Phillip Luswata, the much-celebrated screen and stage actor, is getting bolder by the day.
Over the weekend, he turned a new page with a poetry production that was as much a recital as a dramatisation, at the Goethe Zentru in Kamapala.
The production features seven poets: Joan Mutagwanya, Geof D Poet, Brenda Namara, Benji Ssempala, Obed Kaggwa, Faisal Ssemanda and Quareaus, whose work was combined into one politically intriguing script.
It was the titles of the poems that gave the wrong impression of playfulness. You would not expect a lot of politics from poems titled Guys with Dreads, I wish I was a Poet, I Tend to Fall in Love, The Love Poem and How to Break a Girl’s Heart. Geof The Poet was satirical with his Bampe Uniform.
However, it was Quareus’ Then I Grew Up that was most discussed hours after the production. It tackled ills like corruption, bad governance, hypocrisy and lack of social services. It was presented by all the poets, in a very engaging climax. The poem was a prelude to the 2026 general elections and was based on the various promises made by politicians during campaigns.
The production did not stop at criticising politicians, but also religious leaders who promise miracles after “sowing”.
It was quite unapologetic. It was the attention to detail with line breaks, spacing and indentation that gave the poems a lot of punch. The body language too helped.
“There is a new generation of poets that is emerging in Uganda. I promote them through such productions,” said Luswata.
For him, theatre has taken a turn, and his focus is now dramatised poetry presentation.
He argues that it is a form of theatre much appreciated by the younger Ugandans.