DEVIL IN PARADISE

DEVIL IN PARADISE A play written and directed By Sitwe Benson Mkandawile Assistant Director: Princes kamila Chileshe Edited by Mzizi Samson Kantini and David Sani Mwanza SCENE ONE The play start with a melancholy song by some selected members of the cast revealing what is happening in the society. The theatre is completely dark, curtains are closed and everything is happening in the dark. Song Imwe abale mvelani kulira kwathu, chalo chathu cabvuta x 2 Njala: Tayesayesa kufunafuna njila yosiliza Njala, Chalo cathu cabvuta. Dama: Tayesayesa kufunafuna njila yosiliza Dama, Chalo cathu cabvuta. Matenda: Tayesayesa kufunafuna njila yosiliza Matenda, Chalo cathu cabvuta. Umfwiti: Tayesayesa kufunafuna njila yosiliza Umfwiti, Chalo cathu cabvuta. Nkhongole: Tayesayesa kufunafuna njila yosiliza Nkhongole, Chalo cathu cabvuta. The song is stopped by a ‘shut up’ voice by one of the cast memebers and talks begin revealing problems in the society. MR KANGIZA Shut uuuup!!!!!!! [LIGHTS ON], Wo, wo, wo, wo, yi yi, yi for what? You are just making noise when people are dying out there. CAST [Murmering and wondering what is the guy is trying to prove] MR BONGO Eeh! What are you doing? CAST Eeh! Who do you think you are? MR BONGO Are you one of them? MR. KANGIZA I am one of you. MRS BONGO But what are you doing, are you mad? MR KANGIZA Look!!! We all know we have challenges in the kingdom: people are dying, hunger, diseases, prostitution name it. We also know where all these are coming from. CAST Uhu!! eyah! that’s true MR KANGIZA Now, if it means demostrating or carrying out a revolution, lets do so secretly so that by the time we come out we are ready to fight otherwise the king will eat you alive……… if anything hung all of us! CAST We are ready to fight. Any time even now. its too much ……. [The talks are stopped by the coming in of the girl who is Calling for help. The cast on stage is quiet and are going to help the girl at once as others continue to talk]. THE GIRL My mum is very sick Who can help me ooooo Please help my mother Ye ye ye please oooo My mother, my mother, help her, help!!!!!! Ooooo please help CAST [Look at each other] MISS MEKA Let’s go and check on her mother. CAST Help who? Is she the only one with a problem? MISS MEKA Stop it! Let’s just go and help! [As they are debating what to do, LIGHTS ARE OFF and every one agree OK LETS GO AND HELP! And they go off stage]. SCENE TWO [The theatre is completely dark but there is a spot light on stage. The medicine man comes on stage with a lamp. He walks from one corner of the stage to another]. The Medicine Man Women and time! They will never be on time. She said she would be here at exactly this time. Where is she? The Religious Woman Don’t say women and time! Why do you love smearing the rubbish of one woman on all women as if they are all here? The Medicine man Oh yes! The behaviour of women is just the same. Just mention one man who does not complain about their spouses’ inability to keep time. Just give yourself time to reflect about it. The Religious Woman I can’t give myself time to meditate upon such nuisance and prejudice. In fact you men watch out what you spit to women. We carried you in our womb for nine months. Our belly shaped you. You ate our flesh and drunk our blood. And some of you even took longer. THE MEDICINE MAN Was I called here to be tutored about conception, the longevity of pregnancies, child bearing and rearing? The Religious Woman No for you it’s too much. A small mistake by one woman its all women. Learn to respect women sometimes. The Medicine Man Sometimes Indeed! The Religious Woman I warn you! Don’t be funny Mr Medicine Man. The Medicine Man Oooh! You want me to be funny. Is this what this temper is about? Ah! I have an idea. Let me just touch them. The Religious Woman Touch what? The Medicine man Your nice round breasts only sucked by priests. The Religious Woman What troubles you ayyi? Everytime we meet you think of my skirt and my breasts? The Medicine Man: Yeees! Just look at your temper. It is psychological. Look it’s just the two of us. Can’t we think of something constructive for once? The Religious Woman [just look at him as he speak] The medicine man Say something! ….. Ok. If you have nothing better to offer here and now, I have no time to waste. I have already given you the attention you deeply desire. The Religious Woman Yes I desire attention but not for my breasts. Now listen Mr. Medicine man; I called you here because the kingdom is in danger and no one is ready to listen to the cry of the people. The Medicine Man Woman! Who doesn’t know that there is turbulence in the air The Religious Woman Don’t say woman Mr. Medicine man. This is a serious matter because the king himself is involved. People suffering, dying, hunger and everything that is happening. THE MEDICINE MAN Eh, eh, eh!...... THE RELIGIOUS WOMAN Yes. I heard Mr. Intellectual the so called Wiseman discussing with the king to bring in a wrong solution man leaving the real solution to the problems. THE MEDICINE MAN Why would the king do that? THE RELIGIOUS WOMAN He is receiving things or loyalties from the problem source. THE MEDICINE MAN Woman, are you aware that accusing the king of such gross misconduct is equivalent to treason. If he hears this nonsense, he will eat you alive. Death by hanging or worse still set you on fire and then no worms will feast on you. Woman! THE RELIGIOUS MAN Don’t say woman. I am a religious woman and I should tell you the truth. Our people are suffering out there, dying of hunger, diseases, poverty name it. THE MEDICINE MAN I can’t imagine what he will do to us once he know this and in fact I am out of here … [trying to walk away] THE RELIGIOUS WOMAN What ever I have told you here is the truth. THE MEDICINE MAN Even if that was the truth, which villager in this kingdom would believe that? And worse still take action against the king. Just shut up woman. He will eat you alive! The Religious Woman This plan to lie that he has found the solution man can’t work. People will not wait for another day. The Medicine Man Ok look woman! The king is a wise man ordained by Gods. Am sure he has considered the size of his anus before swallowing this udala seed you are talking about. If you would excuse me now… (Medicine man leaves the woman on stage as he chants something casting a spell in the air and leaving without looking back. The religious woman watch him off stage and she says) The Religious Woman The Odula seed is big this time. His thing will bust. Yeh! Men…. The advice of a woman is of little value, but foolish is he who does not take it. Just watch. (looking straight at the door used by the Medicine man and she also uses another door AND LIGHTS COMPLETELY GO OFF). SCENE THREE [The cast comes on stage discussing issues in the community starting with the girls mother as LIGHTS SWITCH ON]. Mrs Bongo [Holding the Girl as they come on stage]. You mother will be ok just cool down. MISS LEYA How can she be ok when the hospitals have no medicine and she waited at the clinic for four hours just waiting to the scene by a doctor? MR. BONGO Ok the situation is just bad. Even in streets children keep on increasing every day and the number of thieves and prostitutes are increasing every day. MR HENGELI The situation is the same with school. My daughter says there is one teacher from grade one to seven at Kalopapa school. They are building more clinics, hospitals and schools but without doctors, nurses and above all proper medicines. MR. KANGIZA Yes, and in schools there are no books and what they learn is useless – doesn’t carry water just preparing them to be on the street. [Free improvisation by cast. They are joined by ZIKA] Can I have your attention please. These problems are too much now and if we are not careful, all of us will die just like that one by one. Our society is in shit Our families eats not Our parents are in disarray Our sisters messy in street Parading in style fashioned skirts Rolling with men at will Calling them names to seal Our brothers are homeless And we are all in total mess Dying every day in numbers. Should we wait for someone to come and solve our problems? CAST No! ZIKA Abash poverty? CAST Abash! ZIKA Abash diseases CAST Abash! ZIKA Abash corruption CAST Abash! ZIKA Viva solidarity CAST Viva! ZIKA Members of Limila Kingdom. Our King is corrupt. CAST Oh no! uuh! Yeh! ZIKA Oh yes. I head kings men discussing the plans by the king to bring to us a fake solution man. CAST Oh no! uuh! Yeh! MISS LEYA You are putting us in trouble. If the king hear that he will eat you alive CAST Throw staff on her [Saying you work for him] MISS LEYA No, no, no stop. I am with you. Lets demonstrate. CAST Yeeees KANGIZA Viva demonstration CAST Viva KANGIZA Do you want the king to solve our problems CAST No. ZIKA Ok, ok, ok, I propose we find our own solution to address our problems. CAST Yes. Viva, viva. [drums start beating as others shout lets go road side while dancing. A drama song comes and they start dancing celebrating the demonstration – LIGHTS OFF]. SCENE FOUR [LIGHTS ARE ON – The king and the Wiseman go on stage. The wise man informs the king] THE WISE MAN Your highness, the people are demonstrating through out the community and right now they are threatening to come here. THE KING Coming here where? I gave you direct and specific orders to stop those people. THE WISEMAN The soldiers have been fighting with them for sometime now. THE KING I said stop them and not fighting. THE WISEMAN That’s what they are doing your highness. THE KING I said use the spears, bowls and arrows without hesitation and care. That’s your job. Those, those things should not step a foot on this palace. [Two soldiers come in] SOLDIER ONE Your highness, sorry, our spears are finished. SOLDIER TWO Our store room is completely empty your highness. [the religious lady and the medicine also joins.] THE KING What about muzzle loaders, I mean those traditional guns we have and we have gun powder in abundance. Don’t give me any excuse! THE RELIGIOUS LADY That’s just a peaceful demonstration and we cannot use spears and guns. Your highness. May be you should consider the alternative. THE KING What alternative religious woman! What do you know about security and fighting. THE MEDICINE MAN Your highness, All our soldiers are retreating and the pressure is increasing. THE RELIGIOUS LADY May be we allow them to come here and you address them your highness. THE KING [the king stands] You people are not doing your jobs. I will fire all of you especially you and appoint my wife. After all she has been with me for so long and she has gained a lot of experience. THE WISEMAN [Takes the king at the corner] Your highness, the people are merely advising you on the right thing to do. THE KING [WHISPERS] They are undermining my authority and just finish resources of the kingdom. THE WISEMAN The pressure is too much from the people we should allow them to come here now your highness or they might force themselves here. THE KING [Looks at each one of his men and keeps quiet as he moves stage left and right and LIGHTS ARE OFF] SCENE FIVE [The king and the cast confrontation plus drama dance to end the play. The cast is sited before the king]. THE RELIGIOUS LADY Members of limila kingdom, I only speak what the gods and goddesses have spoken. Whatever problem we face in life, it has a reference point. There will be a point that you will make reference to. Today, our kingdom is making that reference point. CAST Yes, yes, great, [agree] THE MEDICINE MAN My king, as I stand here, instability and indecisiveness has taken me into the valley of ambivalence. Am saying so because my king, if you do not put this situation to an abrupt end, you will soon be standing between the den of the lion and the bottomless pit. I propose with strongest conviction that you should not allow these chaps filled with unsaciable appetite for power to dose you with their cheap advice of removing you from the thrown. You are the best. Wamuyayaya! CAST Massive disaproval – awe, atase, just sit down if you have nothing to say [bitter] THE INTELLECTUAL (THE WISEMAN) Limila kingdom was belt on principles. We have existed for many years with our ideals, good morals and cooperation; free of hunger, free of diseases and above all, free of poverty. But today, all these ideals are being challenged and I ask each one of us to be strong. CAST Yes, uhu, [agree] THE KING Fellow men and women of Limila kingdom, we all know the reasons why we are gathered here. Our community is struck with calamities; hunger, diseases, lack of water and generally, economic crisis. I constituted a team to look into this matter and the solution to all our problems is on the way as I speak. The solution which is coming is right in my heart and I am the solution. CAST no, awe, kulibe [they all show disagreement] KING Listen! Stop making noise, let me say something! CAST Owe, no, forsek THE KING I am your king and the solution man. I order you to stop now!!!! CAST Awe, no, get out, viva ZIKA [stand, interrupts and says] I am the solution man CAST Awe, no. ZIKA We are the solution ourselves CAST Yeeeees, ZIKA We are? CAST Not Fools ZIKA We are? CAST Not Fools ZIKA We are not fools. Ms Religious Woman What peace do you preach? Mr Intellectual What Diplomacy do you teach? Mr Medicine Man What cure do you procure? Mr Politician Watch your speech! They united in Berlin Down they came in sheep skin To kill spill African blood; They united in New England town Off they went to truck them down To kill spill red Indian blood; They united in Washington DC Declared a death decree To kill spill Aborigine blood. Jesus Christ, they killed Marcus Garvey, they killed Martin Luther King, they killed Michael Smith, Tubal Uriah Butler, Etheline Roberts, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Che Guevara, Haille Selaise, Nzinga, Samori Ture, Shaka, Patrice Lumumba, Steve Biko, Bob Marley, they killed Culture, they killed Lucky Dube, yes they still killed! While we stand aside and look! Old tricky tool of divide and rule Perpetrated by political prostitutes and destitutes Who always oppose but barely propose them we must depose Crowning surrogates for neo-colonial population boom Making more markets for more caskets and gloom Licensing night clubs, pubs and sex hotels Making brothels out of public motels Sex mercenary squads masked in youth, cultural and scholarly programmes Gunning down militant African collegiate with doldrums For how long shall you break your shrine drums? Ms Religious Woman You got a book and left a gun You closed your eyes and lost the land You suck your brother behind the alter Tying your kids with orphanage halter And you cheat mistreat your people Ploughing money in pulpit plates Yet poverty remains in their gates Indeed, a cheer giver a believer in need What peace do you preach? You are nothing but a bloody leech! Mr intellectual Your brains are ineffectual Can’t think beyond the white paper Your head is full vapour Can’t reason reasonably in our torrid zones Caged bird headed for cold zones Caught up in a virus mental web Your originality about to completely ebb What diplomacy do you know? You are nothing but a miseducated whole! Mr Politician Yes you demon class magician Watch your speech full of inferior sense of moral code Always putting us in the cold Setting African man against his fellow man Inciting murders and acquitting criminals This battle is not of character assassination and assassination of character Your little head is combated in long term projections you can’t see Beyond a year your budget cannot be laid T’s full of money inducements you call it aid Then why can’t you use it as you wish Yet that is your favourite dish Why watch not your speech Digging a deep ditch Mr Politician Mr Medicine Man A chemical weapon now sent out for all In fast food supplies and the GMO Soft drinks and lethal alcohol Tujili-jili for one who can’t afford a brawl Enough vitamin A we have in non-vegetable Fortified foods what are they for No medicines in the hospital Just venomous vaccines free for all Virus laced birth control pills What went wrong with our natural birth control skills? Contaminated condoms orchestrated everywhere Adultery is no more sin once a condom you wear Everywhere are covert clinics and hospitals Yet disease still put us on the toes The delivery moment is now critical Women bellies busted before nightfall Falling from beds so tall Scissorian births on the whole Deformed babies on the overall That is the antenatal Paid not to bring black babies on this world to crawl But terminate and eliminate them once and for all This is a war This war is not a war Of treasons and prisons, schools and fools This war is not a war Of multipartite and NGOs, donors and honours Because this war is but a war Of unity and trinity Of going back to cultural virtues and natural victuals This war is a long term operation blue print Marking every African footprint With slow killing poisons, fertility destroyers Cancers, rumours and tumours, heart disease and TBs Swine flu, bird flu We are, not a fools We are? CAST Not fools. [The cast is free again] THE KING [Orders the soldiers to arrest him] Arrest him now – and death by hanging [soldiers want to go and arrest him but the people stand to protect zika at the same time] THE KING Arrest him now! THE SOLDIERS Attempt to arrest Zika ZIKA shouts! We are? CAST Not Fools THE KING I said arrest him SOLDIERS [Advance to Zika] ZIKA [Shouts] We are? CAST Not Fools [The soldiers attack Zika and the cast beat both the soldiers and the king. In the process of FIGHTING BETWEEN KINGSMEN AND THE CAST, LIGHTS GO OFF] SCENE SIX [Interior monologue by the king. He is walking stage left, stage right time and again as the voice is heard through the PA SYSTEM and the music voice fades together with the lights go off ]. TIGHT LIP ENDING End of the play