The National Theatre is scheduled to show Ayiyii and the Pot of Wisdom with a combination of cultural heritage and artistic resources to bring about a total transformation in the Ghanaian theatre as we transit from COVID-19 pandemic entertainment lockdown.
The scenes and acts are created from folklore which is dramatized with mime, pantomime and dialogues, to depict the characteristics of Ghanaian theatre.
Ayiyii and the Pot of Wisdom would be showcased at the National Theatre on November 5nd, 6th, 13th, and 14th, at 1900 hours each night.
Ayiyii and the Pot of Wisdom is based on the Ghanaian folktale which tells how Kweku Ananse decided to gather all wisdom for himself.
According to Mr. Ako Tetteh, Public Affairs Director of the National Theatre, in synopsis, Ayiyii was seen as a peculiar child with unique characteristics; growing up, and he demonstrated extraordinary characteristics, such as a high level of understanding.
He always looks for alternate ways of doing things, learning everyday tricks, and has a very curious mind and this leads him to embark on a journey through the length and breadth of the country.
During Ayiyii’s adventure, he experiences the unique and rich cultural heritage of the different regions of the country yet at the same time, he capitalizes on the unbridled hospitality of the people to exhibit his trickery; this results in the need for him to move from one part to another.
The birth of Ayiyii, his growth, curiosity, ambition and knack to be self-sufficient, takes us on a voyage from the Upper Regions of Ghana; artistically enriching us with the first rite of the passage rites working its way into the performance of a cleansing ritual transcending into a festival to show case the essence of the Damba festival is celebrated in the Northern part of Ghana.
With the unique character of Ayiyii, the adventure traverses through the middle belt of the country.
Ayiyii’s cunning ways are exposed alongside the artistic presentation of the potentials of each region, to the southern parts; and ends in the capital city, Accra; precisely, Ga mashie an it reveals and exposes us to the unique but unrecognized cultures of the varied ethnicity of Ghana.
The re-arranged folk tunes, with other compositions by a Ghanaian music virtuoso, is a fusion of rustic and contemporary authentic music, rites de passage, festivals, preserved and progressive traditional practices; with choreographed dances which take their roots from their embryonic existence.
