Renaldo “Red” Frederick as the Devil.
PICTURES ABIGAIL HADEED
PICTURES ABIGAIL HADEED
Award-winning performances at Ti-Jean and His Brothers
The eternal fight of good against evil is the theme of the Derek Walcott play Ti- Jean and His Brothers, which ran from September 26 to 30 at Queen’s Hall.
The production, produced by Ti-Jean Productions Ltd and directed by Wendell Manwarren, is part of the ongoing Walcott Festival in Port-of-Spain.
Audiences reacted with awe, laughter and tears to the re-telling of the classic Caribbean tale, which evoked a range of emotions, including fear, joy, surprise and compassion.
In the play, based on a St Lucian folk tale, the Devil issues a challenge to the mother of three sons, Gros Jean (Big John), Mi Jean (Middle/My John) and Ti- Jean (Little Jean).
The challenge, issued through the character of a Bolom—a St Lucian folk character of an aborted foetus—said that any man who could make the Devil lose his temper would receive a reward of gold, but if the man lost his temper, he would be eaten.
The brothers must try their luck in the order of their birth, and their mother gives them good advice as they make their way into the world.
The Devil disguises himself as an Old Man to deceive the brothers as they make their way through the forest to work for the Planter, also the Devil in disguise.
Gros Jean decides to use his strength and arm of iron to win the wager, but is easily tricked into anger. Mi Jean uses his book learning and a vow of silence in an attempt to outwit the Devil, but cannot maintain his composure and is eaten.
Ti-Jean uses rank disobedience to outwit the Devil and gain his reward, although at the cost of his family.
Roland “Rembunction” Yearwood as Gros Jean and Nickose Layne as Mi Jean embodied their characters perfectly, moving from confidence in their abilities to being bamboozled by the Devil with ease and panache, while Ateion Jones as Ti-Jean brought a level of irreverent humour to the role that had audiences rolling with laughter and Ayrld Chandler’s portrayal of Mother was touching. The animals (Arnold “Pinny”
Goindhan as Frog, Cecilia Salazar as Bird, Samara Lalloo as Firefly and Nafilia McIntyre as Cricket) were engaging and humorous, while the chorus (Trevorn Cudjoe, Trevon Scott, Abeo Jackson, Jelae Stroude Mitchell and Harmony Farrell) contributed to the ambiance of the play during its climactic moments.
Shermarke Thomas had the audiences in stitches with his portrayal of the Goat, and Karian Forde’s Bolom was frightening and creepy, as befitted the character.
The show stealer was Renaldo “Red”
Frederick in the roles of the Devil, Old Man and Planter, who brought a level of power to the roles that amazed and entranced audience members.
Many said they empathised with the petulant and lonely Devil, who pines for the only love of God.
Frederick said he put a lot of work into the character, with the help of Manwarren, who had played the character in 1995.
He said: “I looked at the Devil, what he was, what he wanted, that he was the spoiled child of God, then I put his attributes into the Old Man as a politician, then the Planter who is manipulative, and how he used them to achieve his ends. I tried to make him as real and relatable as possible.”
Manwarren said he chose to move the set from the forest of the original telling to a modernday Trinidad, explaining: “The mountain that the family lived on was based in Laventille, the forest where the brothers meet the Old Man is in Independence Square, and the Planter’s house is in Woodbrook.”
Andre Tanker’s music, which ranged from folksy to operatic, including calypso, stick-fighting lavways, soca, classical, funk and gospel, was played live by Simon Mendoza on keyboards, Jayron Remy on sequencers and percussion, Everald “Redman” Watson on djembe and EFXS, and Musical Director Dean Williams on guitar.
The production values of the play enabled audiences to immerse themselves within the world of the play.
Costume design by Sarah Jones Woodham, makeup by David Williams and hair by Kimmy Stoute- Robinson brought the characters to life visually, adding to the superb work done by the actors in portraying the characters.
Audiences said seeing the actors interpret the text of the well-known play brought it to life and made it more real.
Teachers at the school shows expressed the hope that the play would be done again to expose their students to the experience.
The production, produced by Ti-Jean Productions Ltd and directed by Wendell Manwarren, is part of the ongoing Walcott Festival in Port-of-Spain.
Audiences reacted with awe, laughter and tears to the re-telling of the classic Caribbean tale, which evoked a range of emotions, including fear, joy, surprise and compassion.
In the play, based on a St Lucian folk tale, the Devil issues a challenge to the mother of three sons, Gros Jean (Big John), Mi Jean (Middle/My John) and Ti- Jean (Little Jean).
The challenge, issued through the character of a Bolom—a St Lucian folk character of an aborted foetus—said that any man who could make the Devil lose his temper would receive a reward of gold, but if the man lost his temper, he would be eaten.
The brothers must try their luck in the order of their birth, and their mother gives them good advice as they make their way into the world.
The Devil disguises himself as an Old Man to deceive the brothers as they make their way through the forest to work for the Planter, also the Devil in disguise.
Gros Jean decides to use his strength and arm of iron to win the wager, but is easily tricked into anger. Mi Jean uses his book learning and a vow of silence in an attempt to outwit the Devil, but cannot maintain his composure and is eaten.
Ti-Jean uses rank disobedience to outwit the Devil and gain his reward, although at the cost of his family.
Roland “Rembunction” Yearwood as Gros Jean and Nickose Layne as Mi Jean embodied their characters perfectly, moving from confidence in their abilities to being bamboozled by the Devil with ease and panache, while Ateion Jones as Ti-Jean brought a level of irreverent humour to the role that had audiences rolling with laughter and Ayrld Chandler’s portrayal of Mother was touching. The animals (Arnold “Pinny”
Goindhan as Frog, Cecilia Salazar as Bird, Samara Lalloo as Firefly and Nafilia McIntyre as Cricket) were engaging and humorous, while the chorus (Trevorn Cudjoe, Trevon Scott, Abeo Jackson, Jelae Stroude Mitchell and Harmony Farrell) contributed to the ambiance of the play during its climactic moments.
Shermarke Thomas had the audiences in stitches with his portrayal of the Goat, and Karian Forde’s Bolom was frightening and creepy, as befitted the character.
The show stealer was Renaldo “Red”
Frederick in the roles of the Devil, Old Man and Planter, who brought a level of power to the roles that amazed and entranced audience members.
Many said they empathised with the petulant and lonely Devil, who pines for the only love of God.
Frederick said he put a lot of work into the character, with the help of Manwarren, who had played the character in 1995.
He said: “I looked at the Devil, what he was, what he wanted, that he was the spoiled child of God, then I put his attributes into the Old Man as a politician, then the Planter who is manipulative, and how he used them to achieve his ends. I tried to make him as real and relatable as possible.”
Manwarren said he chose to move the set from the forest of the original telling to a modernday Trinidad, explaining: “The mountain that the family lived on was based in Laventille, the forest where the brothers meet the Old Man is in Independence Square, and the Planter’s house is in Woodbrook.”
Andre Tanker’s music, which ranged from folksy to operatic, including calypso, stick-fighting lavways, soca, classical, funk and gospel, was played live by Simon Mendoza on keyboards, Jayron Remy on sequencers and percussion, Everald “Redman” Watson on djembe and EFXS, and Musical Director Dean Williams on guitar.
The production values of the play enabled audiences to immerse themselves within the world of the play.
Costume design by Sarah Jones Woodham, makeup by David Williams and hair by Kimmy Stoute- Robinson brought the characters to life visually, adding to the superb work done by the actors in portraying the characters.
Audiences said seeing the actors interpret the text of the well-known play brought it to life and made it more real.
Teachers at the school shows expressed the hope that the play would be done again to expose their students to the experience.