After receiving rave reviews from the first two-day showing in Accra, Ghanaian playwright, Latif Abubakar took his adaptation of the popular Spanish novel ‘5 Hours with Mario’ to the Northern regional capital, Tamale.
The playwright, partnered by the Spanish Embassy, held patrons to the Accra play at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on September 3 and 4, spellbound with his afro-centric take of the novel, and Tamale was no different.
Critically acclaimed as one of the best and most popular Spanish novels, Miguel Delibes’ ‘5 Hours with Mario’ tells the story of Dzidzor (played by Naa Ashorkor), who, after the death of her husband, sheds light on their personalities and conflicts throughout their turbulent marriage.
The play, being adapted into a Ghanaian and Afrocentric stage play for the first time, is set in the couple’s living room where the dead man had been laid for his wake-keeping.
But from Dzidzor’s rantings — pouring her heart out in a long monologue — she did not enjoy her 20-year marriage to one bit.
Not new to stage plays, Naa Ashorkor, from reviews, once again nailed her acting. She kept the packed audience at the Red Clay Studio in Tamale on December 17 alive and thrilled throughout the play.
“Monologues are difficult and a true test for both the playwright and the actor. 5 hours with Mario by Latif Abubakar is a spectacular play and technically a great achievement in my opinion. It was engaging, funny, thoughtfully written with hints of music and popular references, and had all the makings of a great play,” Jason Amoo said on Facebook.
He added, “I’ve always been a fan of Naa Ashorkor, but she blew my mind with this one. Delivery was flawless, and her ability to switch between emotions and scenarios and deliver her lines so naturally was so beautiful to watch.”
Naa Ashorkor, after putting up the splendid performance, also said, “the audience was amazing; the ambience was simply divine, and the play was …well…God did it — again. I’m happy!”
Those who have so far missed out on the ‘5 Hours with Mario’ fun will get another opportunity to see Naa Ashorkor do what she does best on the Dodi Princess on January 7 and 8, 2023.
