Assimilation: “the absorption and
integration of people, ideas, or culture into a wider society or culture.”
Conversion: “the fact of
changing one's religion or beliefs or the action of persuading someone else to
change theirs.”
These two words
come into play in The Convert, written
by Danai Gurira, directed by Christopher Haydon and playing at the Gate Theatre
in Notting Hill until 11 February. We are in Rhodesia, in today’s Zimbabwe, in
1896, then under British colonial rule.
This is where we
meet Chilford, a local man who has embraced the white occupier’s Christian
religion. In fact, he is the only African man to be a catechist in the region. He
is dressed elegantly and strains his accent so as to sound as English as
possible. He is a great believer in Jesus’ ability to save his people and is convinced
of the superiority of the occupier. He has a female servant who speaks a mix of
the local language and English, and accepts to take a young girl, Jekesai,
under his wing. Chilford changes her name to Ester, and soon enough teaches her
the Bible, turning her into a devout young Christian woman.
While the occupier
is hiring Africans and introducing a Western economic system into the region, it
is revealed that this may not be as enlightening as Chilford may believe. Indeed,
while some of the local population are profiting greatly from the white system,
others are feeling betrayed and stripped of their identity – how long until
they will revolt?
The three acts are
richly written. I highly enjoyed the use of language and accents in this play.
As Ester improves her English, we notice how her use of consonants changes,
with Rs turning into Ls. This helps the audience define where other characters
stand. In addition, there is much humour in the contrast between Chilford’s
seriousness and his misuse of some English expressions – something is often not
quite right, such as “right under my nostrils” or “it’s a bag of mixes”. These
elements were a nice reminder of how language can evolve.
I mentioned
assimilation earlier. It is one thing to go to another country and to change to
somewhat fit in, but what if others come to you and decide to convert you, and
take away your heritage? In Rhodesia, the importance of ancestors and the
richness of the local language and customs makes any submission painful. The
singularity of the region is in its clothes, the way houses are built, the closeness
to the earth and the honouring of the dead. Can all that be taken away right
under their noses?
Each character in
this play is unique. Tamba (Michael Ajao) is Ester’s cousin. He
With such great
writing as a base, one can understand in turn why the acting is so outstanding
as well. Mimi Ndiweni as Ester beautifully shows her evolution from girl to
woman who eventually doubts her beliefs. Stefan Adegbola as Chilford expresses
much pain, as we see that he is suppressing what he used to love about his own
people – sometimes through whiskey. Prudence is played with elegance and
charisma by Joan Iyiola (I’m a fan); I wouldn’t exactly say that she steals the
show, as everyone was so strong, but she certainly makes a strong impression!
This was an
excellent production in an intimate space supported by a great cast and a
direction full of surprises. I had heard of but not seen Gurira’s work before,
and look forward to seeing more.
Review by Sophie Tergeist
Rating: ★★★★★
