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Coined from the Yoruba saying
“ara m be ti mo fe da” (there are wonders that I want to perform) and the Swahili
word "harambee" meaning ‘work
together’, ARAMBE productions was founded
in 2003 by Nigerian Performance Artist, Bisi Adigun and officially
launched by Irish writer Roddy Doyle in February 2004.
The main aim of the company is to afford members of Ireland’s
African communities the unique opportunity to express themselves
through the art of theatre.
By recognising the value and empowering nature of drama, it
is the aim of Arambe to ensure that Africans that would ordinarily
be denied access to, or be isolated from the mainstream art
have a means to identify, nurture and showcase their artistic
talents.
We strive to achieve this aim by producing classic and contemporary
plays in the African tradition and also by reinterpreting
relevant plays in the Irish canon.
Past productions include The Gods Are Not To Blame (2004) by Ola Rotimi, Once Upon A Time & Not So Long Ago (2005) created and written by Bisi
Adigun in collaboration with the cast, The Kings of The
Kilburn High Road (2006 & 2007), The Dilemma
of A Ghost (2007) by Ama Ata Aidoo, Through A Film
Darkly by JC De Graft (2008) and Derek Walcott’s
Pantomime (2008).
Arambe's
all African cast version of Jimmy Murphy's The
Kings of the Kilburn High Road went to Notre
Dame University for the conference on "Race
and Immigration in Ireland" in October 2007.
It is five years since the official
launch of Arambe Productions. We would like to seize this
opportunity to thank all the past board members of Arambe,
all the actors, crew, photographers and designers who have
made our aims and objectives realizable; all the organizations
who have supported us financially and morally. The Arts Council,
Project Arts Centre, O’Reilly Theatre, Dublin City Council,
National Action Plan Against Racism deserve especial mention
here. We would also like to thank you all our audience for
your continued support. Without u, there will be no us. Lastly
a special thanks to the company secretary and all the present
board members of Arambe. Thanks for being there at all times
and God bless you all.
Bisi Adigun
Founder/Artistic Director
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The
Playboy of the
Western World
in a new version
by
Bisi Adigun and Roddy Doyle Commissioned
by
Arambe Productions
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Directed
by Jimmy Fay
Oct 3 - Nov 24 2007
The Abbey Theatre
»»
read more
Arambe’s new version of The Playboy of the Western World is an Arts
Council funded modern reinterpretation of J M Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World.
To coincide with the centenary of the first production
of this Irish classic in the Abbey in 1907, Arambe
commissioned its founder and artistic director,
Bisi Adigun and Irish award winning author Roddy
Doyle (1993 Booker Prize Winner), to work collaboratively
for ten months in 2006 to adapt The Playboy. In October 2007, The Abbey produced the premiere
of the new version to critical and commercial success.
It is with deep regret
that Arambe Productions, who commissioned this new
version and Bisi Adigun who came up with the idea
and invited Roddy Doyle to co-write the play with
him had to disassociate themselves from the most
recent (Dec 2008 - Jan 2009) rerun of the new version
of the Playboy at the Abbey Theatre.
This is because Roddy Doyle and his agent John Sutton
on the one hand, and the Abbey Theatre / Amcharlann
na Mainstreach on the other, have refused to honour
the contractual agreement they entered into with
Arambe Productions in 2006 and 2007 respectively.
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