A scene from the play
Over ten thousand theatre lovers thronged the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), last weekend and Monday, May 6, to catch a glimpse of Ghanaian playwright, Latif Abubakar’s latest play, ‘The License.’
The play, which is an adaptation of celebrated Italian novelist and Noble Prize winner, Luigi Pirandello’s novel, tells the story of Ademu who decides to take on the court through religion and tradition.
Relying on religion and law, the production which sought to address the supposed bureaucracies and difficulties associated with acquiring a driver’s license and other relevant documents in the country, was staged in partnership with the Embassy of Italy in Ghana.
It also explored themes of bureaucracy, absurdity, and an individual’s struggle against oppressive systems.
Characterised by comedy, music, dance, and suspense, the play highlighted the consequences of possessing a fake driver’s license, as well as the right processes of acquiring one, including expedited services.
High Patronage / Job Creation
The production which created some 131 direct jobs attracted over 10,000 patrons for all five shows, including a Monday night show that recorded the highest turnout.
Mr. Abubakar, who had previously partnered the Embassy of Spain in Ghana to adapt and stage two Spanish plays into Afrocentric versions, said aside deepening the Italy-Ghana relationship beyond traditional trade, the partnership with the Embassy of Italy would help in promoting the exchange of culture between both countries, and once again set Ghana on another world stage.
The celebrated playwright, who is credited with hosting one of Africa’s biggest theatrical ventures, ‘The Second Coming of Nkrumah’, with over 500 cast and crew which created about 1,000 direct and indirect jobs, said he remained committed to projecting Ghana’s theatre industry beyond the African continent.
“While I look forward to many more exciting partnerships in the future, I want to specially commend the Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Madam Daniela d’Orlandi, whose initiative has resulted in this partnership,” he said.
Partnership
The Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Madam Daniela d’Orlandi, said the partnership stemmed from the quality of plays from the camp of Mr. Abubakar.
Madam d’Orlandi, who revealed that there would be direct flights from Ghana to Italy in the coming days, expressed excitement that for the first time in Ghana, the embassy was having an initiative in the theatre industry, noting that the collaboration between Ghana and Italy in the theatre industry was a move in the right direction.
According to the Italian Ambassador, having witnessed the adaptation of two Spanish plays by Mr. Abubakar, she was impressed by the quality of the performances. That, she said, encouraged her and the embassy to also partner the playwright to promote Italian theatre, and consequently the Italian culture in Ghana.
Experiences
Sharing his experience, media personality Abeiku Santana, who congratulated Latif Abubakar on partnering with the Embassy of Italy, said, “This collaboration is a testament to the power of theatre in bridging cultures and showcasing the richness of literature.”
The License
First published in a newspaper in 1911, the play which is being adapted into an Afrocentric version for the first time, originally touches on a series of familiar Pirandellian tropes that speaks to the author’s realist interest in representing the actual ways in which law and social custom combine to limit and define the horizons of life for individuals, who are subject to the law.