THE VILLAGE of St Victoria set the scene for a uniquely Barbadian Christmas tale.
Based on a play by the late Timothy Callender with a few modern twists, Three Gifts for Mary, staged by the Central Bank of Barbados’ Chorale at the Frank Collymore Hall last weekend, was filled with messages needed for today: the dangers of prejudice and discrimination, struggling through hard economic times and the joy of unlikely happy endings.
Amanda Cumberbatch directed the play and Walter Forbes Jr provided the musical direction.
As the story goes, a man from a strange land (possibly Africa) arrives in St Victoria village, a small village in Barbados. Because of his looks and accent, Mr Grandison (Ross Simmons) was strong-armed by his wife (Joanna Shillingford) and refused to allow the stranger in the bright dashiki to stay at the Grandisons Bread and Breakfast – despite recent renovations and additions, as well as the fact that there was room for the English tourist woman (Shakera Williams).
Just before the close of the first half, the Stranger, played by Andre Burgess, “ran into” young Mary Waithe, played by Denisa Belgrave. In offering to help Mary, the outsider made friends with the young girl and her mother, Josephine Waithe (Keisha Gibson), and the two provide lodging in their humble abode.
In turn, the “Stranger” turned out to be a genie in a bottle, giving three gifts to the Waithe family – a Bajan Christmas feast complete with jug jug and ham, a new pair of red and gold church shoes for Mary and a sum of money which Mary kept safe under the dining room table.
Kudos here must be given to Belgrave. For the members of the audience who did not know her, the actress’ age was quite hard to discern. She did a great job of conveying a bright-eyed little girl.
A fire caused by the “tourist woman” highlights other issues caused by the husband and wife and the true identity of the Stranger they refused.
The action surrounding the Grandisons’ Bread and Breakfast was interspersed with the harmonious melodies of the 24-voice chorale, which performed Christmas standards, Mary’s Little Boy Child, O Holy Night and Silent Night and We Three Kings. The chorale also did a little acting as well, playing the role of villagers and onlookers. (LW)
