Feature: Ghana@60 Concert Party: Leave Agya Koo alone!

It’s been weeks since that catastrophe called theatre was showcased at the Independence Square during the celebration of the country’s 60th anniversary, and only the name of one person has been dragged in the mud – Agya Koo!

For an important occasion that was planned by a deluge of highly important personalities, it is unfortunate to have only the legendary actor take the fall.

For weeks, Agya Koo has come under severe castigation for the production.Critics, stakeholders, associations, all within the Arts industry, including observers have all had their go at the actor/producer.

Unfortunately for him, he has been a lone ranger in a defensive strategy that has been abysmal as the play itself.

Yes, Agya Koo was in charge of that play, but he was not in charge of the planning of the entire anniversary. There was a director for the event , a coordinator and there were supervisory elements in Government too.

Theatre Was A Big Mistake

There’s no shred of doubt that the play was a howler. The concept, the acting, the directing, the timing and the execution were all bad.

The patrons that gathered for the activities of the anniversary were not only Ghanaians; we had Heads of State, foreign dignitaries, diplomatic corps and other observers who had no inkling on what the Twi language was all about but had to endure that torture of a play.

The play lacked proper direction; actors were all over the place, with very poor coordination and dialogue.

For some reason, that play, which should have projected local production and made a case for local actors and ‘concert party’, turned out to be a sham – representing everything negative of local production and killing all efforts made by hardworking persons who have contributed everything to project local production.

For his role in mobilizing the actors, drawing up the concept and showcasing that theatre, Agya Koo should take some blame – surely!

Blame The Planning Committee

It is unfair and quite unfathomable that only the popular actor is taking all the blame for that debacle.

There was a strong 30-member Committee that was set up to plan the entire celebration. They were tasked and resourced to plan the 6th March programme – from start to finish.

They were responsible for every little detail that occurred at the Independence Square that very day.

Agya Koo did not just galvanize a few actors and bulldozed his way unto the Programme Line-up and to the Independence Day. Some person(s), highly placed officials or grouping ensured his project got the green light.

That Committee was supposed to check, crosscheck and check again on every activity that was to take place at the venue. They were supposed to check if the said activity was germane for the occasion, had a poignant message, was not derogatory or would affect the sensibilities of the nation or other countries that were being represented by Presidents, Prime Ministers and other dignitaries.

Once the Committee vouched for that play to show on the day, they definitely must take some blame.

Blame the Event Director/Coordinator

The 60th anniversary celebration could have easily passed as one of the best celebrations ever, if not for that ‘Concert Party’ – and whoever directed or coordinated the event should also take some of the ‘slaps’.

There was a showcase of such beautiful culture and tradition and that play should not have passed under the watch of any serious-minded Director or Coordinator.

That play was the biggest blotch on the day, and several weeks after the event, it is that ‘Concert Party’ that has dominated the headlines and all the commentaries surrounding the anniversary. It wiped clean all the many good stuff that occurred at the venue.

Surely, that director or coordinator should have called for a preview of the play before vouching for it to show on the day.

For his/her inability to check the play before passing it, or checking and not seeing anything wrong with it before allowing it to show, that Director/Coordinator should also take the blame.

Shut up, FIPAG!

Of all the persons and groupings that criticized Agya Koo, none is as irritating as that from the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG).

The Public Relations Officer of the Association in an interview, called the play – a shame!

The shame is that – FIPAG, if they were a serious organization, should have been one of the points of call, when the Committee had something like that in the planning of the event.

The shame is that – if FIPAG was that influential, it would have played some role in the activities of that day, especially the ‘Concert Party’ put together by Agya Koo.

FIPAG has no right to question anybody on what transpired on that day. They have little or no say in the assemblage of actors and how they performed. They simply have no right to question Agya Koo on what should or shouldn’t have happened on the day.

When they put their house in order and become effective, then, they may have a say when the arts sector is involved in occasions like the Ghana, ‘60 Years On’ anniversary.

Shut Up, Agya Koo!

Since the play, Agya Koo has been floundering to offer plausible excuses and justifications for the play and in most cases; he ends up generating more controversies and making the matter worse.

Please Agya Koo, you messed up; it is not the end of the world. We learn from our mistakes, so pick lessons from that horrible showing and better yourself and other projects.

With all due respect, stop talking! It’s been weeks already, let the matter die and move on to other serious stuff.