Patty Reviews “Everyone Has A Secret” by Ebo Whyte

So it was the 4th stage play for the last quarter of 2012 by Roverman Production and although I have never watched an Ebo Whyte play before, I was determined to see this one. Maybe it was my resolution to break the chain of being the odd one out (since everybody I know has something to say about Uncle Ebo’s plays) or probably it was simply a good escape after a stressful week.

I could probably count the number of times I have ever been to the theatre on one hand, and the last of those occasions must have been well over a decade ago. Therefore, I am not going to try to make a comparative judgment with other theatre productions but of course I can offer my opinion of the show.

Like I said, I went in with almost no prior knowledge of what to expect but I could tell Ebo Whyte appeals to a vast range of people judging from the impressive patronage comprising people of different ages, young smart twenties right through to the older folks. And who says shows in Ghana cannot start on time? There was nothing like ‘Ghana Man Time’; patrons were seated on time and the show started right on time.

The setting was modest and pretty plain I must say. Maybe consideration for an upgrade and more colour should be made in subsequent productions. However, if I had been dreading for a ‘Chrife-like’ play which portrays characters out of this world, this was quickly dispelled by the very first act.

The show begins with a group of friends who had met for a reunion of some sort and then without notice, ‘supposed well-kept’ secrets of infidelity came spewing out like having a taste of a very salty meal. Indeed tempers flare, and some find it almost impossible to get over the shock and indeed for Yaa (wife of Mawuli) it was great news to learn that her marriage is not recognized by law because the officiating minister had indeed not been qualified to perform such duties.

Cool way to flee from a cheating hubby with no ugly divorce, I’d say. The cast was fantastic. I should mention here that there was a lot more singing and dancing than I was expecting but hey it was good. The choice of songs was on point, the band was great and some of the voices could easily pass for ‘Best vocalist of the year’.

Fortunately, the play didn’t drag on for too long and the humour ran from the first act right to the very end so the tentacles of the audience were kept high.

And need I leave out the closing dance? No way, that was some dance eeehhh.

So I had fun; great fun and good lessons learnt. This play is showing again on the 22nd December, so I highly recommend that you grab a ticket and give yourself a good treat.

If you saw this play last weekend, share your experience.