Wan Roof Theatre is a theatrical production group based in Sierra Leone reputed for presenting performances at different venues in the country. One of the few active theatre groups in the country, Wan Roof Theatre has staged popular performances in the past two years. Their main aim since establishment is to revive the culture of theatre-going and sharpen the skills of theatre actors in Sierra Leone.
Poda Poda Stories fellow, Sulaiman Bonnie spoke to Grigorios Delichristos, the founder of Wan Roof Theatre in Freetown.
Delichristos: I am Griogos, the Founder and part of the the board of Wan Roof Theatre. We formed the board and then we found our cast, directors and we took it from there.
Bonnie: So how and when did Wan Roof theatre come about?
Delichristos: There was a need. I have been in Sierra Leone for seventeen years myself and I don’t have the privilege to see performances being advertised. I could not see any—probably there were opportunities but not enough promotion. So during my initial days in Sierra Leone, I didn't come across drama theater and that made me feel that there is a real need to revive this art form, because it is very important for society. Theatre plays very positive roles in several ways; so, I made a call for other people who might be interested like me to start it, and not for one performance but to create a system that will on regular basis present a performance so they can be re-introduced for the new generation to know the beauty of theatre and for the old generation to go back to it. We wanted to make it accessible in regular intervals, so we put a target that every year and we will try to make many performances and make them more accessible in terms of location and put as much quality theatre as we can.
Bonnie: And in what year did you begin the work?
Delichristos: In 2021, Wan Roof Theatre was formed even though we did not present anything until May 2022. The work started in 2021 to form the board, and then we announced audition so many people came, we selected the cast and did rehearsals for the first production which was called THE LINE. This was presented at the Freetown Teachers College and Family Kingdom. In three days only, we put up those performances because we were constrained with finance.
Bonnie: After The Line, did you present any other play that same year?
Delichristos: Yes, we made an ambitious plan to present a play titled PODA PODA which is written here by the local team. Poda Poda is a contemporary Krio comedy. The directing team decided that we use Krio as the best way to approach the audience and engage them. This play marked the second term of a successful production because we had challenges in the previous ones.
Cross section of the cast of Wan Roof Theatre. Courtesy: Wan Roof Theatre culled from website
Bonnie: Who are those that make up the directing team?
Delichristos: The directing team for now is Bilal Jalloh alias BJ International and Carlos Vilasquez. We also had Benjamin DeCoste, but he is not in country anymore. Now the two directors are Carlos and BJ.
Bonnie: So why did you decide to take your plays to other parts of Sierra Leone?
Delichristos: This year we felt at more confident to do it because we don't want everything to be based in central Freetown. We want this form of acting to go out and we might get some fantastic talent in terms of actors, stage managers, directors, and playwrights. Those people will never actualize their potential if we don't bring it to them. So, this year, we went first to Makeni. We didn’t ask people to pay for tickets because we want to attract people to come and pay as they can. However, we couldn’t realise much, and we were frustrated by the lack of support. However, we were very pleased to be out there and doing it and the following week, out of the schedule, without any planning for us, a company invited us to Lunsar who provided our transportation fare, accommodation and gave honorarium to the actors. If individuals and corporate bodies can support us like this, we can take this dream to more places in the provinces.
Griogios Delichristos, the founder of Wan Roof Theatre
Bonnie: So what is the idea behind Poda Poda, the play you are currently showcasing around Sierra Leone?
Delichristos: Poda Poda is a comedy that throws light on many happenings in modern Sierra Leone with sparks of laughter. The story line is about a bunch of strangers who meet in a poda poda (public van) from Makeni heading for a concert in Freetown. Tensions arise in the middle of the journey and some social issues like corruption are brought up.
Bonnie: Can you take us through some of the serious challenges that you are facing as a production team?
Delichristos: The challenge that any form of art will get today in the present state of Sierra Leone will be the financial and this does not create space for theatre at a time when people are dealing with bigger issues. Also, it is difficult to navigate because many times we want to advertise but we don’t have the capital. We couldn't go to the media and printing cost of billboards are high. Another challenge is lack of motivation for the actors. Support is not forthcoming. The actors need money to survive. We put up performances, and only a handful of people will attend. How can the actors get a good meal, good transportation cost and good accommodation when they are on production? Again, we don't have a venue, or we don't have a venue that will say this is where we can go and do rehearsals there and we can perform there.
Bonnie: What can you say about the performance of the Sierra Leone actors that you have worked with or recruited?
Delichristos: In fact, from the first audition none of us on the board of directors expected to see this level of high talent . There is a lot of quality and potential. Their raw talent was already polished from the onset. It just needs more practicing to get it perfected. We hope that we will still be doing this for many years so we can bring up those talents and give them more chances to expose themselves and develop their talents for a lifelong career.
Bonnie: So finally using your production as an inspiration, what message do you have for the future of theatre in Sierra Leone?
Delichrostos: My message would be for everybody to try their own part, even if it is just to make a small effort to go and see a play. Let's start from there. You don't need to invest or build anything to play a part. Maybe offer support for radio stations and or a TV for adverts to promote the plays. Just do anything you can to support. If you know there is play somewhere, just buy a ticket, and go watch it. There is a whole generation deprived of theatre in Sierra Leone, so we have to work hard to address that. It is not easy, but let’s try. There are so many positive messages and cultural value in theatre. If we want it to grow, we must all make an effort to bring it back.
Sulaiman Bonnie is a 2023 fellow at Poa-Poda Stories. He is a writer, law student and teacher. He lives in Freetown, Sierra Leone.