Ghana Theatre Festival Celebrates Efua Sutherland

The National Theatre of Ghana hosted the highly anticipated 2024 Ghana Theatre Festival; an exciting week-long celebration honouring the legendary Ghanaian playwright, Efua T. Sutherland.

This year’s festival was an unforgettable tribute to the life and work of Efua T. Sutherland, a pioneering figure in African theatre, renowned for her transformative contributions to children’s literature and the performing arts in Ghana.

This year’s festival, supported by key cultural and corporate partners, featured four spellbinding performances, each showcasing the richness and diversity of Ghanaian theatre.

Audiences were treated to a blend of plays that span generations, showcasing Sutherland’s powerful legacy in shaping contemporary Ghanaian storytelling and performance art.

Kicking off the festival was the launch on Tuesday, September 24th, serving a foretaste of what the week promises. Curtains were raised with Agoro, a medley of vibrant children’s plays directed by Elizabeth Sutherland.

This show was meant to captivate audiences of all ages with its joyful celebration of youth and culture. It took place on Wednesday, September 25, with two showings—one at midday (tickets priced at 50 cedis) and another at 6 pm (100 cedis).

On Friday, September 27th, the National Theatre came alive with a performance of Foriwa, produced by the acclaimed Abibigromma troupe from the School of Performing Arts.

This play, a masterful exploration of post-colonial themes and social progress, performed at 5 pm and 8 pm. Tickets for this production and all subsequent plays went 150 cedis.

Saturday’s lineup featured one of Sutherland’s most cherished works, The Marriage of Anansewa, a delightful comedy full of wit and wisdom. This production, co-produced by April Communications in partnership with Imagebureau and the National Theatre, was held on Saturday, September 28th at 4 pm and 8 pm.

Bringing the festival to a climactic close is Edufa, another one of Sutherland’s timeless works. Produced by Fiifi Coleman Productions, this gripping tale of tradition, sacrifice, and the human condition performed on Sunday, September 29th, with showings at 4 pm and 8 pm.

The Ghana Theatre Festival 2024 is proudly supported by The Ghana Tourism Authority, Electrochem Ghana, 4UK Visas, and JoyFM, and brought to life by the generous sponsorship of The National Lottery Authority and Ghana Gas.

As the curtain rises on this year’s festival, audiences will experience the magic of Efua T. Sutherland’s timeless stories and her profound impact on African theatre. With these vibrant performances, the National Theatre continues to preserve her legacy while inspiring a new generation of storytellers and theatre lovers.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

Efua Theodora Sutherland is a Ghanaian Playwright, Poet, Essayist, Children’s Author, Researcher, Public Intellectual, Educator, Child Advocate, Cultural Activist, Institution

Builder and Pan-Africanist. She was born on 27th June 1924 in Cape Coast and trained at

Monica’s Teacher Training College in Mampong Asante and Homerton College, England. Alongside her teaching career, she quickly became one of the pioneers of Ghana’s arts scene.

She led the Ghanaian Theatre movement and was to be counted among Africa’s internationally renowned writers. In 1960, Sutherland founded the Ghana Drama Studio and developed studies in theatre at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.

She was known for establishing /inspiring several cultural institutions, and programmes including children’s park-library complexes, Du Bois Centre, Kusum Agoromba, Mmofra Foundation, Afram Publications and PANAFEST.

The year 2024 is the centenary of Efua T. Sutherland. This milestone is being commemorated. In Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, and the United States.