Fifteen years after it premiered at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) Ronald Hollingsworth’s Watch De Ride has been rebooted for another turn at the venue with a plethora of new faces and some stalwarts.
Horizon Arts Production is staging Watch De Ride – Last Day for School from October 16 – 18. Fifteen years ago, Watch De Ride had focused on the then prevalent phenomena of the minibus sub-culture and its attendant ills by chronicling the travails of a schoolgirl it consumed and the consequences; albeit in a tragicomic manner that entertained while hammering home its message.
The Scene recently caught up with Production Manager Darren Mc Almont for a brief on the play and obviously, our first question was what’s different this time around. To this he responded that some of the issues dealt with previously have since abated. While the 2010 version retains the minibus culture central theme Mc Almont said it will be examining several angles of the issue.
“You find sometimes we blame the drivers and conductors for taking away these young girls from school and things like that when sometimes they are the ones who go up to the conductors and they ‘hustle them’ and buy drinks for them and stuff like that,” he stated.
Mc Almont adds that there is also the case where some schoolchildren ride the buses to hear the music since they cannot listen to it at their homes.
“It’s not about bus riding alone; it deals with every little aspect of life like peer pressure, HIV, the consequences of bus riding, everything in one full-length play. It’s a play that’s dealing with issues surrounding today’s society and when it was done 15 years ago it was a tremendous success,” the production manager said.
As to why they thought it necessary to re-stage the play at this time Mc Almont said the idea was born out of a recent interaction between Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand and minibus operators which co-director Mariatha Causway had read about it the newspapers.
“She [Manickchand] was talking about the consequences drivers and conductors would have to face for taking schoolgirls away from schools so they met with her and the Minister of Culture and discussed the play and decided to bring it back now because we still face some of the issues,” Mc Almont related.
He added that a matinee show will also be held for school children because some of the issues dealt with confront them on a daily basis.
While there are familiar faces like Henry Rodney, Sonia Yarde and Lavonne George, who will be reprising the role she played 15 years ago, the manager was excited about a young talent he said the veterans should look out for in the years to come.
“There is this little girl, Melissa King, she is playing the lead role. She’s only 15 years old and she’s doing a tremendous job, she has done some plays before, she’s part of Artistes In Direct Support and she’s the second-place winner at the Cellink Kid Stage this year and she’s a very brilliant actress,” he enthused.
According to the manager, the cast numbers over 30 and most of them received drama training during the classes that were held for Carifesta in 2008. He added that many of them will be making their NCC debut on opening night.
Mc Almont is urging the public to support the play saying it is going to be highly entertaining despite the seriousness being portrayed.
“As one actor said he was in it in 1995 and he said it’s a play that’s going to make you laugh until you cry and really I agree with him because I’ve cried three times and that’s just looking at the rehearsals. It’s a very serious play and at the same time it’s brought over in a hilarious way so you’ll be entertained and at the same time we’ll be highlighting the issues and the consequences of these things,” he entreated.
Causway and Hollingsworth co-direct Watch De Ride: Last Day for School.
Tickets cost $1,000 and $800 and are available at the NCC, Nigel’s Supermarket or from any cast member.
