When humanity lost to the evils of money
It is only one who has never left their home, who thinks his mother is the best cook
Play: Bakuntumye
Group: Bakayimbira Dramactors
Playwrite: Aloysious Matovu Joy
Director: Charles “Siasa†Senkubuge
Showing: Pride Theatre
Time: Every weekend until mid February
Reviewed by: Emanuel Ssejjengo
It is only one who has never left their home, who thinks his mother is the best cook. Aloysuis Matovu Joy’s experience of living in London has changed his outlook to life, judging from his new play, Bakuntumye.
Matovu has moved from celebrating life. In Bakutumye, Matovu questions the very existence of humanity. With the depth of cast, prominent actors are introduced one at a time, hence keeping the audience expectant. The characters are types. They lack a human face and dissolve into machines in the production line of existence.
It is a play of love gone sour. Wealth through greed replaces love.
Wevugira (Aloysuis Matovu Joy) grows from a pauper to a wealthy man. With too much money, many creep into his life as his “I-would-do-anything-for-you†lovers. Wevugira leaves Uganda to escape death. In London, his status changes and with it, his identity (names). He changes girlfriends. His wealth is his love portion.
Bakuntumye tells a story of death, but the lighting does not. This is a cold death, the death of all good feelings. Death replaces life. Hatred replaces love. Deceit replaces trust.
The plot revolves around the scuffles that engulfed the late Gogwe’s family. The competition for wealth leads to plots that should end up in murder. Love relationships are all dark and one wonders whether there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Mat Kalinda’s relationship with Diana (Annet Nakiyingi) is one of unquestionable loves, but it also delves into a love for money as Diana attempts to steal Kalanda’s £25,000.
It is Mvganzi’s relationship with Berna that grows from lust, through infatuation to real love. But the dark shadow still lurks around the relationship as Mvaganzi goes around telling everyone that he first made love to his wife in an indecent place.
Sgt Nora Tracy (Leyla Kalanzi) and Sgt. Charles Arnold ( James Senkubuge) develop an attraction towards each other, while working as partners in an investigative case. But what this develops into is only left to the imagination of the audience.
The choice of characters disables the play, especially with James “Siasa†Senkubuge and Leyla Kalanzi as investigative cops. The two are too comic.
Kalanzi is too talkative, unsettled and enjoys her jokes.
Senkubuge fails to make up a threatening face whenever he should. When not in the official uniform, his shirt with the words Embaga ya Kony reminds the audience that we are watching fiction. But with the man-on-the-street costumes, we are told this is reality.
All action emanates from the central character. The other characters either struggle for his love or his life. It is a play that reveals the absurdity of life and using one central character raises unsettled emotions among the audience. The setting in Uganda and later moving to London is symbolic. It gives the play universality.
Wevugira runs to London, but London has no love. It can only give you money. As one character puts it, “I did not come to London to find love, but moneyâ€.
Kalanda’s girl-friend in Uganda, Virgo (Rebecca Namakula), is satisfied with her phone romance with him. Virgo’s (Rebecca Namakula) love song on phone is the highlight in the acting, not the plot.
Her act on stage is powerful, full of emotional release of love and sexual pleasure. The audience is awed and one or two people unknowingly stand up to take in the whole act. At the end, there is light, but the vision is blurred. Evil is punished and the good live happily, perhaps ever after.
For a play that depicts the futility of
living, greed, deception and hatred, it is as good the farce is limited. Even statements such as “kasiki means kissing and sexing in kasiko (thicket) Inn†do not cause the expected hilarious laughter.
From death in Uganda, we go to London for a rebirth. But in London, it is a colder death. Should we be glad of another death? No longer at ease, can we rekindle our love?
Group: Bakayimbira Dramactors
Playwrite: Aloysious Matovu Joy
Director: Charles “Siasa†Senkubuge
Showing: Pride Theatre
Time: Every weekend until mid February
Reviewed by: Emanuel Ssejjengo
It is only one who has never left their home, who thinks his mother is the best cook. Aloysuis Matovu Joy’s experience of living in London has changed his outlook to life, judging from his new play, Bakuntumye.
Matovu has moved from celebrating life. In Bakutumye, Matovu questions the very existence of humanity. With the depth of cast, prominent actors are introduced one at a time, hence keeping the audience expectant. The characters are types. They lack a human face and dissolve into machines in the production line of existence.
It is a play of love gone sour. Wealth through greed replaces love.
Wevugira (Aloysuis Matovu Joy) grows from a pauper to a wealthy man. With too much money, many creep into his life as his “I-would-do-anything-for-you†lovers. Wevugira leaves Uganda to escape death. In London, his status changes and with it, his identity (names). He changes girlfriends. His wealth is his love portion.
Bakuntumye tells a story of death, but the lighting does not. This is a cold death, the death of all good feelings. Death replaces life. Hatred replaces love. Deceit replaces trust.
The plot revolves around the scuffles that engulfed the late Gogwe’s family. The competition for wealth leads to plots that should end up in murder. Love relationships are all dark and one wonders whether there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Mat Kalinda’s relationship with Diana (Annet Nakiyingi) is one of unquestionable loves, but it also delves into a love for money as Diana attempts to steal Kalanda’s £25,000.
It is Mvganzi’s relationship with Berna that grows from lust, through infatuation to real love. But the dark shadow still lurks around the relationship as Mvaganzi goes around telling everyone that he first made love to his wife in an indecent place.
Sgt Nora Tracy (Leyla Kalanzi) and Sgt. Charles Arnold ( James Senkubuge) develop an attraction towards each other, while working as partners in an investigative case. But what this develops into is only left to the imagination of the audience.
The choice of characters disables the play, especially with James “Siasa†Senkubuge and Leyla Kalanzi as investigative cops. The two are too comic.
Kalanzi is too talkative, unsettled and enjoys her jokes.
Senkubuge fails to make up a threatening face whenever he should. When not in the official uniform, his shirt with the words Embaga ya Kony reminds the audience that we are watching fiction. But with the man-on-the-street costumes, we are told this is reality.
All action emanates from the central character. The other characters either struggle for his love or his life. It is a play that reveals the absurdity of life and using one central character raises unsettled emotions among the audience. The setting in Uganda and later moving to London is symbolic. It gives the play universality.
Wevugira runs to London, but London has no love. It can only give you money. As one character puts it, “I did not come to London to find love, but moneyâ€.
Kalanda’s girl-friend in Uganda, Virgo (Rebecca Namakula), is satisfied with her phone romance with him. Virgo’s (Rebecca Namakula) love song on phone is the highlight in the acting, not the plot.
Her act on stage is powerful, full of emotional release of love and sexual pleasure. The audience is awed and one or two people unknowingly stand up to take in the whole act. At the end, there is light, but the vision is blurred. Evil is punished and the good live happily, perhaps ever after.
For a play that depicts the futility of
living, greed, deception and hatred, it is as good the farce is limited. Even statements such as “kasiki means kissing and sexing in kasiko (thicket) Inn†do not cause the expected hilarious laughter.
From death in Uganda, we go to London for a rebirth. But in London, it is a colder death. Should we be glad of another death? No longer at ease, can we rekindle our love?