British School of Lomé production of Conference of the Birds
March 24-25 2011
Directed by Kassi Cowles and Erin Threlfall
Costumes by Bee Millar, Guy Colborne, and Aine Quinne
Based on the Sophist epic poem of the same name, Conference of the Birds tells the tale of the birds from around the world in search of the mythical Simorgh- the king who holds the answers to happiness. The birds, lead on by the passion of the Hoopoe, endure a gruelling journey, throughout which they meet many characters, each engaged in their own search for the meaning of life. When the birds finally reach their destination, they discover that they had possessed within them the answers all along.
The poem was translated into a play by the famous Peter Brook and Jean-Claude Carriere, with the help of the traveling theatre company made up of actors from around the globe. Armed with a few boxes of props, a rolled up carpet, and a healthy passion to create, the actors traveled from England to Africa. Traveling south along the eastern seaboard towards South Africa, the il-prepared actors visited village after village, crafting the play as they went along.
When looking for a play produceable on a small budget with limited rehearsal time, Conference of the Birds seemed an appropriate play to produce at an international school in Togo, West Africa! Equipped with a teensy cash box, a healthy appetite to create, and a rolled carpet of their own, two theatre enthusiasts took on the challenge of telling the tale in their own African village.
As it was for Brook and his merry band of wayward actors, as well as the birds who were in search of the Symorgh, the Togo production turned out to be more of a learning experience than the two directors ever could have imagined!
March 24-25 2011
Directed by Kassi Cowles and Erin Threlfall
Costumes by Bee Millar, Guy Colborne, and Aine Quinne
Based on the Sophist epic poem of the same name, Conference of the Birds tells the tale of the birds from around the world in search of the mythical Simorgh- the king who holds the answers to happiness. The birds, lead on by the passion of the Hoopoe, endure a gruelling journey, throughout which they meet many characters, each engaged in their own search for the meaning of life. When the birds finally reach their destination, they discover that they had possessed within them the answers all along.
The poem was translated into a play by the famous Peter Brook and Jean-Claude Carriere, with the help of the traveling theatre company made up of actors from around the globe. Armed with a few boxes of props, a rolled up carpet, and a healthy passion to create, the actors traveled from England to Africa. Traveling south along the eastern seaboard towards South Africa, the il-prepared actors visited village after village, crafting the play as they went along.
When looking for a play produceable on a small budget with limited rehearsal time, Conference of the Birds seemed an appropriate play to produce at an international school in Togo, West Africa! Equipped with a teensy cash box, a healthy appetite to create, and a rolled carpet of their own, two theatre enthusiasts took on the challenge of telling the tale in their own African village.
As it was for Brook and his merry band of wayward actors, as well as the birds who were in search of the Symorgh, the Togo production turned out to be more of a learning experience than the two directors ever could have imagined!