Devon Dick

Last week, my siblings who live overseas arrived in Jamaica to celebrate our mother's 75th birthday, and I had to entertain them. So I decided to take them to watch Basil Dawkins' Uptown Bangarang at the Little Little Theatre. It was a benefit performance sponsored by the illustrious Queen's High School. And the evening was well spent.

Basil Dawkins has developed a reputation as one of Jamaica's leading playwrights. He has to his credits, Flatmate, Couples, A Gift for Mom, What the Hell is Happening to us Dear, Hot Spot and the classic Feminine Justice.

Therefore, it was not surprising that when there was an attempt to develop a Jamaica Music Revue, Dawkins was engaged to write it.

Uptown Bangarang is a delightful play which deals with sexuality, sexual orientation, Christianity, mental illness, pastor/politician, dramatised largely in an uptown setting. The directing by Jeffrey Anderson was very good with memorable scenes including the family's watchful eyes on the mentally ill wife as she circled the living room. Robin Baston's set design was eye-catching. But more profound was the fact that a house of opulence was juxtaposed with a house in the ghetto. And paradoxically, the same set was used for the house in the ghetto as well as the 'dream house' in New York.

The themes within the play intrigued me. The director gave an interpretation not only on the set but in the booklet when he said, "For each circumstance is a gift, and in each 'Bangarang' a hidden treasure. So sit back, relax and experience the Divine at work in Uptown Bangarang."

I also have some insights into the play. I am also aware that viewers will get different messages. I well remember when I was doing English Literature at A' Levels at Calabar High School. It was recommended that the class attended Father Richard Holung's lecture on a Joseph Conrad book. I recall that Holung saw themes, symbols, values and morals in the book that I did not see, especially some spiritual imagery.

Strong female characters

For me, Dawkins' plays have strong female characters, often in the lead role. And in Uptown Bangarang, Maylynne Walton as Verona Webster, did an excellent job. Sakina Deer as Precious, the maid, was played well and was an integral part in bringing uptown and downtown together and making the pastor/politician street-smart and successful. And one feels sympathy for Ruth HoSing (Alma). In this play, it is men who appear weak in character, especially Bobby (Jerry Benzwick).

In Feminine Justice Dawkins engaged in the feminisation of Christianity. This was a pioneering trend. The deejay Shaggy sings of God as female and in another song speaks about the strength of a woman. My colleague in ministry, Donovan Cole, in an upcoming discussion programme, will speak about the feminisation of Christianity. Dawkins' plays are usually deep. He takes on Christianity in a sensitive way and deals with controversial and thorny issues competently.

Dawkins' plays need to be studied at the high school level. Hopefully, some bright students at our universities will analyse these plays to garner the main themes and to test my hypothesis that in his plays, he sides with women. He also appears to be on the side of the underdog.

Uptown Bangarang is highlighting the need for cooperation between uptown and downtown - that both need each other. The play seems to be saying that the problems faced in each setting are similar, and collectively it can be solved. Basil Dawkins in Uptown Bangarang has shown that Dawkins is a prophet; hopefully he will be honoured in his own country and heeded, even as we laugh.