I have a new play on my table. This may be the craziest I have ever written or directed. Unlike all my other plays, this has only one character ─ yes only one.

For about two hours, one character will tell a spell-binding and suspenseful story. The story will move some people to tears. It will also crack the ribs of others.

It is more than a play. It is an original musical of which I wrote 11 songs for. You, my audience, will, thus, be treated to not a good story but melodious music you have not heard before.

My stories are often on social issues and this new one is not any different. It delves into some cracks in our society and how we are all gradually drowning in this rot. As a writer and director, my vision is always to bring to life stories that will transform lives. For me, a story that has no impact is one that needs not to be told at all.

Is there ever a saint in this world? And… is there a devil? Maybe, there is. Maybe, there is not. Can a saint be a devil and a devil a saint? Well, it is left for you, my audience, to unravel the depth of THE SAINT IN THE DEVIL’S SHOES on Easter Friday and Saturday.

The Saint In The Devil’s Shoes will be our 10^th play. Coincidentally, this year marks our 10^th year of producing classic stage plays and impacting society through storytelling. For the past decade, we have told stories on varying social themes.

Theatre is made for society, and society was born out of theatre. There is power in the stories we tell. They transform minds. They are life-transforming.

One patron after our previous play on rape, In The Pants Of A Woman, walked up to me and told me how much of a healing she had received through the play. She was a rape victim who had never been able to speak out about her ordeal.

Testimonies like these highlight the power of the stories we tell on stage. Society can be changed one play at a time through the power of theatre. The society we aspire to attain can be achieved through these impactful stories we tell on stage.

They are not mere stories. They are destinies. In the theatre, patriotism is triggered. In there, questions are asked and answers are somewhat given. Theatre is more than theatre!

Synopsis

A heavily-indebted public servant who is on the run goes into hiding in an abandoned house. He soon gets to find out the house has more secrets than he ever imagined. The abandoned house is more than an abandoned house.

Themes in The Saint In The Devil’s Shoes

Our new play treats many social themes. Betting or gambling is one of such. In The Saint In The Devil’s Shoes, we look at the damning effect of this social canker on not only the victim but even their loved ones. It is spelt out clearly throughout the story that this addiction always leaves its victims worse.

Many have lost more than they have gained. They have sold everything they have in a bid to chase wealth that does not exist. No one can cheat nature. If betting were the way to riches, no one would have been poor ─ especially the lotto doctors.    

Another theme that runs through the play is corruption. Corruption has wrecked this nation. It has shredded our dignity into pieces. The Saint In The Devil’s Shoes looks at a bottom-up approach to tackling corruption; an approach that makes everyone look at themselves as perpetrators and not only victims.

Many want to point to politicians whenever the topic of corruption comes up. We ought to, however, remember that politics is not what makes people corrupt. Politics only amplifies who and what we already are. If you abuse little power, you will abuse more power. If you steal little, you will only steal more when you have access to what belongs to everybody.

Why do many condemn corruption but only from afar? Why do they do worse when they have the least opportunity? This once-in-a-lifetime play advocates for looking within in our bid to fight corruption. Admitting we are a part of the problem is the first step to solving the problem.   

Target Audience

The Saint In The Devil’s Shoes is an original musical play suitable for every member of the family. Children will have a lot to learn. It is an opportunity for them to see life from a way different perspective. Adults will even learn more. It will make them correct their wrongs and make them less judgmental.

It is a must for corporate institutions. Staff members will need to see it as a team. Together, they will learn that every act of misdeed has a rippling effect. Every act of ours, whether good or bad, goes a long way to affect everybody including us.

Event Details

The Saint In The Devil’s Shoes shows on Good Friday (April 18th) and Easter Saturday (April 19th) at the National Theatre of Ghana. Showing times are 3pm and 7pm. Ticket rate is GHC150. Hotline is 0546098082.

Final Remarks

As a nation, we are at a very critical moment of our lives. We owe it to posterity to get it right today. Corruption cannot keep getting worse. Like a song in the musical says, “When a system is broken, everyone eventually pays.”

See you on Easter Friday and Saturday!

The writer is a playwright and Chief Scribe of Scribe Communications (www.scribecommltd.com). His new play, THE SAINT IN THE DEVIL’S SHOES, is a one-cast original musical play slated for the National Theatre on April 18^th and 19^th, 2025. For further inquiries, kindly call 0546098082.

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