Butetown, Cardiff
Sun 3 Mar
words: AMBER BELL
It started off with a wintry December walk around Cardiff Bay two years ago. A group of Somali poets from Butetown approached National Theatre Wales with an ambitious idea for a ground-breaking new show. Even then the tangible excitement shared between the poets and director Jonathan Holmes could not have prepared the De Gabay team for the monumental effect the project was going to have on theatre as we know it.
De Gabay is a reflection of the lives of five Somali men from Butetown, as well as a larger depiction of the Somali community. The men share their stories, rich in history and culture, through the mediums of poetry, music and video, taking the audience on a journey of site-specific theatre across Cardiff Bay and the often misjudged urban area of Butetown. Ticket holders will be provided with a passport, guiding their journey which will kick off with an intimate visit to a surprise location.
The show is more than just an expression of art. Somali culture considers De Gabay (poetry and song) to be a potent ritual that plays an integral role in shaping a community, promoting resolution and philosophy. On the effect of this prospect on modern theatre, director Jonathan Holmes comments that “European theatre once had the same role as De Gabay: a means to talk about a communities issues and aiming to solve them. We are now re-learning these roles through the De Gabay poets. These men want to change their lives, and plan to do it through poetry and theatre.”
This production, set in one of the largest Somali communities outside of Somalia, may not have been possible had it not been for the belief and funding of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. UK Director of the foundation Andrew Barnett claims that “De Gabay is an inspiring, community-led project which will engage local and international audiences of uncompromising quality that are both intimate and spectacular.”
The innovative piece of theatre will include two parades, house visits and a stunning array of original and compelling poetry, with a beautiful finale across the harbour. Tickets: £1. Info: www.nationaltheatrewales.org/degabay / www.wmc.org.uk