BURKINA FASO'S REVOLUTIONARY POPULAR THEATRE

Political education has come to the stage in Burkina Faso as popular anti-imperialist theatre captures the attention of Ouagadougou's youth. One theatrical production in particular has caught our eye. 'Le Marchand' (or 'The Merchant' in English) is about a pair of characters who denounce German capitalists who come to invest in Africa's Sahel region. The 2023-released play includes flashbacks to different points in time to show how European civilisation has long profited from Africa's exploitation. We sat down with playwright and director Thierry Oueda to understand why he made the play and where he hoped it would go.

German cultural institutions initially funded this play despite it being unapologetically critical of Germany and Western imperialism. Unfortunately, Oueda’s plan to obtain further funding to take the play on a tour of West Africa will not come to fruition. Furthermore, he said the funders told him they lost the original recording of the play's opening night.

Nevertheless, residents of Ouagadougou flock to see the play every time it shows because it unambiguously touches on some of the most pertinent questions of our time. The characters boldly make connections between Western imperialism and t*rrorism, even going as far as to ask if the t*rrorism in the Sahel is not really a ‘war between Westerners.’ This play is an expression of utmost love for the Sahel and its people, rooted in the revolutionary values that represent Burkina Faso and its Alliance of Sahel States (AES) neighbours—Mali and Niger—during this historic moment following coups d'état that ousted Western-aligned leaders in these three countries.

Oueda and fans of ‘The Merchant’ still hope that the play can find a source of funding to tour the AES.

To learn more about this play, visit theatresoleil.com or follow Théâtre Soleil on Facebook.