Al Creighton

Drama is among the most misunderstood and most abused subjects in secondary schools in Guyana. 

One of the greatest and most important theatrical traditions in contemporary Caribbean theatre, the Jamaica Pantomime is very closely associated with the work of Jamaican journalist, playwright, broadcaster, radio/TV personality, theatre director and administrator Barbara Gloudon (February 5, 1935 – May 11, 2022).

[John Robert Lee and Kendel Hippolyte, Editors, Saint Lucian Literature and Theatre:  An Anthology of Reviews, Castries: Cultural Development Foundation, 2006. 

In the summer of 2011, I felt deeply honoured when I was asked to deliver the Inaugural Roy AK Heath Lecture at the Centre for Caribbean Studies, University of Warwick.

(Barbadian writer George Lamming died on June 4, four days before he would have celebrated his 95th birthday.

For Walter Rodney                                 Assassins of conversation they bury the voice they assassinate, in the beloved grave of the voice, never to be silent.

At the end of last month, there was a theatrical exhibition on stage at the National Cultural Centre that was not widely publicised.

Tomorrow and the World I am most happy as I walk the seller of sweets says “friend” and the shoemaker with his awl and waxen thread reminds me of tomorrow and the world.

It has been an interesting experience to see the productions that have returned theatre to the public since March, 2021.

Public theatre has begun to return after sporadic stops and starts on the major world stages like the London West End and Broadway and a total shutdown in many other countries, including in the Caribbean.

They Came in Ships They came in ships From far across the seas.

A Lloyd N De Arts production with the very meaningful title, Unmasked, was performed on April 21.

“He was not of an age but for all time.” (Ben Jonson, 1616) This weekend the world celebrates the birthday of William Shakespeare (April 23, 1564 – April 23, 1616), highly distinguished as the greatest playwright and poet known to the English language and the world.

Ash Wednesday -1 Because I do not hope to turn again Because I do not hope Because I do not hope to turn Desiring this man’s gift and that man’s scope I no longer strive to strive towards such things (Why should the aged eagle stretch its wings?)

In the western world theatres have been closed for various reasons at different times in history.

[Guyana Where & What, Gem Madhoo-Nascimento, Ed., Georgetown: G.E.M.S. Inc., n.d.,

Holi: Spring Festival of Colours              May there always be spring in our eyes and fingers, feet: pink ixoras, red hibiscus mauve madar—green buds everywhere   Even live oaks’ allergenic dust coating everything yellow, golden gainda, daddy said, not marigolds pani re pani tera rang kaisa—is it rain—or   Water what is your colour?

  Embassy As evening fell the day’s oppression lifted Far peaks came into focus it had rained Across wide lawns and cultured flowers drifted The conversation of the highly trained Two gardeners watched them pass and priced their shoes A chauffeur waited reading in the drive For them to finish their exchange of views.

Get Down Ye Angels        Get down ye angels from the heights.

Red Rising                   1. When the earth was made when the wheels of the sky were being fashioned when my songs were first heard in the voice of the cool of the owl hillaby Soufriere and Kilimanjaro were standing towards me with water with fire at the centre of the air there in the keel of the blue the son of my song, father-giver, the sun/sum walks the four corners of the magnet, caught in the wind, blind in the eye of his own hurricane and the trees on the mountain be- come mine: living eye of my branches of bone; flute where is my hope hope where is my psalter my children wear masks dancing towards me the mews of their origen earth so that this place which is called mine which will never know that cold scalpel of skull, hill of dearth brain corals ignite and ignore it and that this place which is called now which will never again glow: coal balloon altracite: into cross- roads of hollows black spot of my life: jah blue spot of my life: love yellow spot of my life: iises red spot of my dream that still flowers flowers flowers let us give thanks when the earth was made when the sky first spoke with the voice of the rain/bow when the wind gave milk to its music when the suns of my morning walked out of their shallow thrill/dren   2.