New Era

The Play: 'Not You Bishop'
Written and directed by: Madith van Wyk
Players: Vernon Cloete, Marian Mukosho, Maria Basson, Elizabeth Ross, Aina Samuel and Johny Simon
Venue: National Theatre of Namibia

WHETHER you like it or not, we live in a patriarchal society. And when one lives in a patriarchal society, there is no way that a female will be allowed to take up a leading role in a community where men have always had the last say.

There is no way, for example, that a female cleric will be allowed to lead a congregation in a rural community, whether as a bishop, a pastor or a minister. Call it what you like, those positions in the top echelons of the church are male domains â€" because that's how it has always been.
But alas, there's the rub, for some females in the community have decided that patriarchy or not, some customs will have to go out the back door to make way for a more liberal approach to life.

This then is the gist of 'Not You Bishop' a new play written and directed by Wadith van Wyk. The play was performed as part of the National Theatre of Namibia's Theatre Zone Project in Windhoek last week.

Wallis and Koekie is an ostensibly happy couple living in their modest home somewhere in rural Namibia. Wallis is a hard-working and exemplary husband who goes to work punctually every morning. Their lives are as peaceful as their surroundings, until their tranquility is abruptly disturbed, at eight in the morning, by the boisterous Uncle Doepie, the local gossip and instigator, who informs them that a new bishop has arrived to lead their church. There's nothing wrong with a new bishop taking up a position that has been vacant for six months, but all hell breaks loose when it transpires that the new bishop is female!

Once this news becomes known, we see how a family and a community are ripped apart as no attempt is made at a compromise. The men, Wallis and Doepie, have decided that a female bishop would be appointed "over their dead bodies", while the women have decided that it's time for the men to step aside if circumstances demand it.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the play produces a laugh a minute as the various characters struggle to get their viewpoints across, while some slapstick moments clouded the issue at stake.
All plays entered in the Theatre Zone Project are directed by newcomers who are mentored by more experienced directors. One of the big disappointments of this play was the absence of a more experienced hand to guide the young players, the majority of whom were raw talent who could have been moulded to produce an improved product.

The players themselves, most of whom are new to the stage, tried their best, but could not elevate this play to a level higher than a high-school production. Their lack of experience, fortunately, was ably carried by the experienced Vernon Cloete as Uncle Doepie. He filled the stage with his presence and his experience shone through in word and deed. The play would have fallen flat if it were not for his inclusion as the main character.

Elizabeth Ross as Koekie, and Johny Simon, as her husband Wallis, showed enough latent talent to pop up again in more serious roles in future. They were ably supported by Marian Mukosho as Aunty La-la, Maria Basson as the bishop, and Aina Samuel as Maggie. To come back to the conclusion the problem is unfortunately solved by violence. Hats off to Madith van Wyk for a valiant attempt, which even succeeded in eliciting audience participation on several occasions. We hope to see more of her creativity in future.

The play ends rather ironically â€" with one character lying on the floor surrounded by the rest of the cast gathered around the body. While members of the audience are left to speculate whether the character is dead or not, the cast starts singing "Happy birthday to you!" and we are left with an unanswered question: Is violence really the only way out?

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