Valentine's Day: Lovers overwhelm the Ebonies

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KAMPALA - Many lovers, clad in shining red outfits of the Valentine's Day colours were turned away at Theatre La Bonita but couples continued arriving even after the gates were closed.

It was a record turn up, sending the organizers in panic as they tried to squeeze extra chairs in the corridors to accommodate many who came late to watch the Ebonies' new play, ‘My Valentine 2020'. This forced Dr. Bbosa (Sam Bagenda) to apologize to whoever had been turned away due to lack of space.  

The play, characteristic of the Ebonies' stage decorations and side live screens features Henry, (Dr. Bbosa) who put the audience of ‘sorts of lovers' to tension wondering how he was going to maneuver the nine women who had planned to spend the day with him, in what looks like a real-life story for many lovers in Kampala and elsewhere.

Great dances of the Ebonies play My Valentine

 
The women, including one from the village, heard about Valentine's Day fever and decided to prepare gifts, turned up at Henry's home.  

Characteristic of ‘cheaters' Henry fakes a boda boda accident and hires a motor mechanic from Katwe, a suburb of Kampala city to act as a personal doctor, who, with the help of another character, went on an uphill task of bouncing away all the mistresses on pretext that he was ‘too ill' to attend to anyone, including his wife, Sarah. 

The lovers, however, refuse to give up and instead gang up against the ‘cheater.

Henry (Dr. Bbosa) is cornered by his mistresses on Valentine's Day after faking a boda boda accident

 
Frustrated, Henry sings, "It is my life', and turns violent against all the mistresses and finally returns to his wife, Sarah, who received the flower he had reserved for another ‘side dish'.

The play has several other scenes, including prominent men who are brought down by women in their quest for lust. They include the legendary Israelite warrior and judge, Samson who was tricked by his foes to fall in love with a beautiful woman who discovered the source of his power.

The production also depicts the games lovers often play on Valentine's Day, including acquiring new ‘catches' or dodge their spouses to move out with ‘side dishes' which is however not a sport for the faint-hearted.

The play scenes are mixed with great dances and romantic music maims, with big lessons for lovers to pick.

The many scenes of broken love on Valentine's Day

One of Henry's nine mistresses arrives on a boda boda from the village to spend the Valentine's Day with him

Scene of Samsom who was conquered after he fell in love with a cute woman