Thursday, September 2, 2010

Author Alexander McCall Smith has given Shakespeare’s Macbeth an African twist blending wildlife and intrigue in Botswana’s first ever opera, staged in a restored garage in the capital.

The ‘Okavango MacBeth’ examines the human-like behaviour of baboons under the watchful eye of three primatologists who cannot intervene in a bloody struggle for power which has all the key facets of Shakespeare’s play.

An all-local cast performed with simple costumes in the 70-seat No. 1 Ladies Opera House, named after the highly successful detective agency series penned by McCall Smith whose stories brought Botswana to readers around the world.

“As in Shakespeare’s MacBeth, the Okavango Macbeth is about power, ambition and being in control,” said McCall Smith, who flew in from Scotland to attend the premiere last month.

Performances of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is plagued with superstition, so much so that some actors will not even refer to it by name, instead calling it ‘the Scottish play’, for fear of jinxing a production.

In the Botswana version, the dominant female baboon Lady Macbeth plots with aspiring troop leader Macbeth to kill her husband-to-be and incumbent dominant male Duncan in the tale of political lust and ultimate destruction.

“Though the opera is about baboons, there are some outstanding similarities between the animals and humans, especially when it comes to the way how far some people can go to be in control,” said McCall Smith.

The plot, set in Botswana’s famously lush Okavango Delta, was inspired when the author met two primatologists studying baboon behaviour when visiting the delta on holiday.

The opera also has several lessons for African leaders who have greedily tried to cling to power, he said.

Lady Macbeth reminds the audience that “no gentleman ever made it to the top” saying the lesson of politics was “oppress the rest and test the best”.
Her own downfall, however, is a lesson that this is not always the best approach.

The lessons are played out in Africa’s most stable democracy, a diamond-rich nation which has bucked a trend of resource-rich countries to be overtaken by greed, corruption and bad governance.

Botswana’s capital Gaborone has a dearth of theatre, and the small opera house hopes to stage at least two musical productions and smaller musical events throughout the year.

“We need optimism and love as humans. We need to send a positive image of Africa and its people and there are many ways through which this can be done and theatre is just one of them,” said McCall Smith.

A novel industry
At the foot of Kgale Hill, the sudden appearance of new shops caused a bit of a buzz as bemused locals seeking to book a haircut or buy beer found themselves turned away from a film set.

This was not a new mall, but Botswana’s very own ‘Kgalewood’ where the successful ‘No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency’ novels were turned into a TV series that has introduced the tiny African country to a new audience.

The success of the books, and the series screened on Britain’s BBC, America’s HBO and MNET in South Africa, has generated huge interest in the nation, which itself has woken up to the potential of a bigger film industry.

Where tourists used to be “your average middle-aged female American”, Tim Race of Africa Insight tours says more younger people and families are delighted to see landmarks made famous in the novel.

Race said the book is now compulsory reading for diplomats coming on mission to the US Embassy to get a sense of the country, and is slowly making its way into schools as a set work.

Film producer Robert Dargie, originally from Uganda, said: “To be frank that film has impacted a lot in this place.

“We have been inspired by it coming to Botswana.”

Alexander McCall Smith, the author of the novels, inspired by the people of Botswana to set his novel in the country, is working on the 11th book, due for release in March.

“Botswana has a lot to offer as a country,” he said.

With its main income from diamonds expected to run out in 20 years, Botswana is venturing into different fields to diversify its economy.