The Cow Needs a Wife

The Cow Needs a Wife

Back in February, I had the opportunity and pleasure of watching a rough stage production of Angella Emurwon's play, The Cow Needs a Wife. It was performed in a small semi-theatre with horrible acoustics, and some actors still used their scripts, but it was a thoroughly enjoyed show. Angie's script is very clever and quite hilarious.

About four months later, The Cow Needs a Wife made it's debut tonight at the Uganda National Theatre, and I attended it with a group of friends. The production was polished up, included sound effects, a better set, and an amended cast (so glad Richard Obonyo was given a chance to shine in the lead role--a fine actor and a great guy to work with).

Below are some details about the play.

The Cow Needs a Wife

by Angie Emurwon

Winner of Third Prize in the 2010 BBC African Performance Playwriting Competition

Set in rural Uganda, The Cow needs a Wife is the story of young Mamboleo who finds himself under pressure to raise money to buy a cow so he can pay a dowry (bride price) to his girlfriend’s family. In this endeavour he enlists the help of his wealthy Uncle Motoka, but almost immediately after buying his cow the prospective bride refuses to marry him! His family insists that he find a replacement as he cannot have the cow without getting married......... and so unfolds a series of hilarious events in his quest for a bride.

The 1986 Nobel Prize Winner for Literature, Wole Soyinka who presided over the 2010 BBC African Performance Playwriting Competition, described it as, ‘...one of the zaniest plays I have ever encountered.... I loved its sense of mischief, its light-heartedness.... I thought it was a successful comedy.

If you are in the Kampala area, I highly recommend catching one of the few remaining performances.

If you are not fortunate enough to be in Kampala, sorry. You can listen to a production of The Cow Needs a Wife (originally written as a radio play) on bbc.com.

Tomorrow's the beginning of a long journey: cycling from Hoima town to the Lake Albert Safari Lodge. Once again I'll be away from internet for a while, so no blogging.:-( But there will be wonderful tales to tell when I get back. :-)