GH lacks vibrant theatre to ‘check’ govt – playwright Kobina Ansah

PLAYWRIGHT Kobina Ansah believes the Ghanaian theatre industry lacks the vibrancy to make a ruling government accountable or keep it on its toes through plays.

He mentioned that many Ghanaian playwrights focus on the ‘lighter side’ of plays, abandoning the usefulness of theatre as a good tool to be a catalyst for change.

In an interview with Graphic Showbiz, Kobina, who staged his play, In the Pants of a Woman over the weekend, noted that it is about time his colleagues used the stage to draw attention to national issues affecting the masses.

He was very hopeful such a direction would go a long way to awaken the consciousness of people about bad governance and to demand accountability from political leaders.

 “I’m looking forward to an industry that will take on relevant issues that Ghanaians are facing. The theatre should be used to keep the government on its toes. I believe there should be a place for comedy and a place for tackling challenges that the masses face.

“That is not to say staging comic plays is bad but I think there should be a balance and so playwrights have to be bold about taking on government on stage.

“Back in the day, the government was using theatre and plays to propagate and educate the masses about new policies. If the government uses play and theatre as an educational tool, why can’t we use the same platform to get them accountable,” he questioned.

Kobina is not a newbie in the theatre industry. He has been at it for almost a decade with plays such as The Boy Called A Girl, Once Upon A Riddle, Emergency Wedding and the latest, In the Pants of A Woman sealing his status as a playwright.