A show with historical, cultural and emotional appeal is about to soar from Barbados and land in London soon.
Caribbean Journey, is a love story featuring a Barbadian and a Briton, while encapsulating the story of how Africans were brought to the Caribbean as slaves and have emerged as a victorious people with their unique history and contribution to the world.
“We are portraying Caribbean people who have come of age despite the horrors of slavery and are making their way in the world quite successfully,” producer Tony Hoyos told the WEEKEND NATION.
“It is a very respectful but entertaining look at the Caribbean . . . the way we dance, the fact that we are stable emerging democracies, our easy-going nature of Caribbean people.
“We will portray that but not as people who are any longer subjugated. We make our own way in the world, we’ve done very well and we will continue to make our way, and that’s what we want to portray, and that’s going to be different.
“I don’t think that has been done before.”
Caribbean Journey is a two-hour production for which Hoyos and his team have so far created a 35-minute showcase, which will be promoted in London for entertainment industry professionals on February 3, even as the producers finalize their cast and continue rehearsals.
If the industry professionals are impressed and decide to help produce the musical and/or invest in it, the full-length version will be staged outside of London with a view to getting it in the world-famous West End.
So far the response has been encouraging, says Hoyos.
“We were encouraged by industry professionals who we pitched the idea to, starting last November. They share my belief that the audience for live theatre in London and the United Kingdom is ready for a musical about the Caribbean.”
Three principal roles are on offer, and so far 300 applicants have flocked to the auditions in London, including about 80 talented actors, dancers and singers with Caribbean roots but all based in the British capital.
So is there no one from Barbados?
“We need people who are going to be resident in the UK, so if you’re here and willing to commit yourself to being a UK resident, we would be happy to audition you . . . . Nobody took us up on that,” said Hoyos.
“We did have Ricky Stoute who came over from Germany where he is based, and he auditioned. He was offered one of the principal roles but currently has other commitments. We also have one of our former stilt-dancers, Kyle Walcott, who used to work at The Plantation and moved to England five years ago; he’s going to be our head stilt-dancer,” he added.
Asked why this show would be likely to succeed where other Barbadian shows have failed, Hoyos explained that Caribbean Journey comprised music that was tried, tested and wide-ranging, giving audiences much that is familiar.
“Perhaps those [previous productions] were ahead of their time. There has been some success, a play called Wind Rush, that depicted the emigration of Caribbean people to England back in the 1950s and 1960s, that played in England for an extended period, but I believe the audiences are looking for musicals right now but there is no Caribbean musical running at this point.
“I think the time could be right. It’s like everything you do in a production; there’s no guarantee of a hit in any genre, whether it’s music, stage, film . . . but we feel the initial interest was there and we want to give it a try, so we’ve invested some of our money to make it happen,” added Hoyos.
His inspiration basically stems from being a musician and a businessman steeped in the tourism arena, combined with his lifelong appreciation for the performing arts.
“Every city I travel to, I always look for live performances. Also, Colin Brewer and I have been involved in The Plantation now for 13 years and we produce the Bajan Roots & Rhythm show. So we decided we should perhaps look at taking our one-hour show here and expand it into a full-length production. It’s really a new story but it had its genesis here (at The Plantation),” he said.
Their target is the mainstream audience but Hoyos hopes West Indians in London will find this to be a cultural focal point of which they can be proud.
Penned by a British-based script writer whom Hoyos declined to reveal, the concept is Hoyos’ and the cost could run into several thousands.
“We intend to do this properly . . . a cast of three principal singers/actors, a supporting dance/acting troupe of 12-15 and a lead stiltwalker.
“We’ll use all the audio-visual technology available, because we want the physical beauty of the Caribbean to be brought out, with various scenes including Bridgetown Market, Jamaica’s Trench Town, climaxed with scenes from Kadooment Day.
