Obaaberima Returns to Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

By Neil Armstrong 

Photo credit: Jeremy Mimnagh   Tawiah Ben M'Carthy, writer and performer of the award-winning production, Obaaberima.

Obaaberima, an award-winning play which had its successful premiere in 2012, is returning to Buddies in Bard Times Theatre from November 27 to December 9.

The coming-of-age tale by Tawiah Ben M’Carthy won three Dora Awards for outstanding production, outstanding sound design/composition, and outstanding lighting design.

As Buddies continues its 2018-2019 season, it brings back the first show to have been developed through the Buddies residency program, which has gone on to produce eight mainstage shows including The Gay Heritage Project, Black Boys, and the upcoming Shove it Down My Throat.

Since its debut six years ago, the production has played on stages across the country, garnering rave reviews from coast to coast.

Imprisoned in Canada for committing a violent crime, a young man from Ghana tells his cellmates a story on the eve of his release. While there is risk in sharing his tale, he must tell it to be truly free. Through storytelling, dance, and live music, Obaaberima chronicles a young African-Canadian’s journey across continents, genders, races and sexualities.

“As a performance it’s a tour de force and more than earned M’Carthy the raucous ovation it received. As a play it’s persuasive and touching,” said the Toronto Star in a review.

The play is written and performed by Ghanian-born M’Carthy who earlier this year starred in the remount of Black Boys, another Buddies in Bad Times Theatre production.

Created by Saga Collectif, that 2016 production was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for outstanding performance – ensemble. 

After embarking on a nation-wide tour to theatres in Vancouver (The Cultch, with Zee Zee Theatre), Calgary (High Performance Rodeo), and Montreal (Espace Libre, with Black Theatre Workshop), Black Boys came back to Buddies for a limited two-week run from February 28-March 11. 

A raw, intimate, and timely exploration of queer male Blackness, Black Boys was created from the lives of three people (Stephen Jackman-Torkoff , Thomas Olajide and M’Carthy) seeking a deeper understanding of themselves, of each other, and of how they encounter the world. 

As they explore their unique identities on stage, they subvert the ways in which gender, sexuality, and race are performed. Theatrical and intimate, the artistic creation wove together the ensemble’s own personal stories in search of an integrated self and a radical imagination.

In Obaaberima, M’Carthy’s performance is directed by artistic director, Evalyn Parry, and accompanied by the live music of award-winning multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, Kobena Aquaa-Harrison.

The other creative team members are set and costume designer, Camellia Koo; lighting designer, Michelle Ramsay; and stage management by Laura Baxter.

M’Carthy was introduced to theatre in Ghana and trained as an actor at York University. 

As an artist, he uses both African and Western theatre traditions, often combining movement, music, storytelling, poetic text, together with theatrical structure, characterization and design. 

His creator, writer and performer credits include ​The Ken​te Cloth and MaaNomaa, My Brother.

M’Carthy has also worked with companies such as The National Arts Centre of Canada, TheCultch Vancouver, Urban Ink Production, The Globe, Regina, Obsidian Theatre, Tarragon Theatre, MTSpace Theatre and InterArts Matrix as an actor, playwright, director and/or workshop facilitator. 

He is a co-founder of Saga Collectif and is the co-founder/associate artistic director of Blue Bird Theatre Collective.

Buddies in Bad Times will have accessible performances of Obaaberima on the first weekend of December.

A deaf-interpreted performance in ASL will be held on Saturday, December 1 at 8:00 p.m. d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons can access $10 tickets in advance using the code “ASL 10” at checkout. Pay-what-you-can tickets will also be available at the door.

A relaxed performance will be held on Sunday, December 2 at 2:30 p.m. Patrons can book $10 tickets in advance using the code “RP10.”

The previews will be held November 27 and 28, the opening night on November 29 and the closing performance on December 9.

Obaaberima runs Tuesday to Saturday, 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are PWYC (pay-what-you-can)-$40. Box Office: 416-975-8555 or buddiesinbadtimes.com

Buddies in Bad Times is at 12 Alexander Street in Toronto.