The Board Chairman of the National Theatre of Ghana, Nana Fredua-Agyeman Ofori-Atta, has averred that it is important for people to erase the perception that the popular Ghanaian stage drama, Concert Party, is a source of entertainment for only illiterates.
According to Nana Fredua, it was somewhat disastrous for the advancement of theatre as a guiding light for the performing arts, for anyone to regard Concert Party as ‘colo’.
Speaking in an interview, Mr. Ofori-Atta said the socio-cultural impact of Concert Party had not been aptly promoted.
“There is little education about Concert Party. In fact, many people consider it entertainment for the uneducated. I quite remember when I led a delegation from the National Theatre to pay an official visit to the Ghana Concert Party Union in 2019 and it was reported by the media, I got some people teasing me that I was a ‘concert man’. While they might have said it light-heartedly, they actually were being stereotypically demeaning because of their perception of it. Unfortunately, this is the kind of box we have placed Concert Party, and it is stifling its development agenda”.
Nana Fredua-Agyeman Ofori-Atta
In the view of Mr. Ofori-Atta, the relevance of Concert Party in the socio-cultural advancement of Ghana cannot be ignored. He noted that through the program, many have benefited from the skills of actors, musicians, and scriptwriters.
“Concert Party embodies our culture as a group of people since it tells us our history. It is ambassadorial and a tourist attraction and this can obviously not be thought to be for only the uneducated”.
Nana Fredua
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of National Theatre, Mrs. Amy Frimpong, speaking about the recent relaunch of the program, described it as a good time to serve the entertainment needs of its audience.
“Concert Party stands as a core among these programs and its popularity is beyond the shores of our country. It has traveled to Italy, Germany, U.S.A, and Canada for performances since its introduction at the National Theatre 30 years ago. Going forward, Concert Party would come back as live performances with the recorded version broadcast on Wontumi Television. What it means is that we will watch the show at the National Theatre and possibly across the regions via television”.
Mrs. Amy Frimpong
Mrs. Amy Frimpong disclosed that auditions would be opened to the public to offer their talents and skills in acting, singing, and comedy.
Concert Party is one of the theatre productions by National Theatre started in 1993. It grew over the years and became very popular, both on live shows at the National Theatre and on Ghana Television (GTV). However, its attractiveness waned since the late 2000s, despite the many initiatives introduced to revamp the program which did not yield much fruits to take it back to its former days of glory. Due to this, the National Theatre of Ghana has now partnered with Wontumi Communications to bring back Ghana’s oldest stage dramas.
It can be recalled that the Chief Executive Officer of Wontumi Communications, Bernard Antwi Boasiako pledged his outfit’s commitment to ensure the success of Concert Party in the face of competition from supposedly enlightened programs on television today.
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