With a bit of metaphor in the mix, dub poetry group No-Maddz will be returning to theatre in their new production, Breadfruit Is The New Bread Baby. Quite a unique title it is and No-Maddz member Sheldon Shepherd said the idea came to him when he won the Best Actor Award at American Black Film Festival last year.
“I used it in my acceptance speech because of what it means to me. I came back to Jamaica and I kept on putting it on my Facebook page and got a lot of people talking and commenting about it,” he told The Sunday Gleaner. He went on to explain the title and what it represents for the group.
DEEP SIGNIFICANCE
“Breadfruit is good for your heart, it is good for your skin and your digestive system, and it tastes good too. Bread is the popular guy in the equation and even comes sliced. It’s easy,” he said. “It is really a metaphor. We say, here we are breadfruit, take us in our skin, take us roasted, take us fried.” He said that the group is not necessarily mainstream and is usually underground. However, he said, they bring freshness to the musical landscape and are different from what is usually available. After writing the piece and creating the storyline, the group is now rehearsing for the ‘dubical’ (dub poetry musical) that is slated to start showing on May 8 at the Theatre Place, 8 Haining Road, New Kingston.
Following the gala opening, Shepherd said, the production will be shown from Wednesday to Sunday each week for the entire month. He said there is also a possibility the production will be shown in June.
“The concept of the show is that it is pretty much a musical. It is set in a bakery and we have our instruments,” Shepherd told The Sunday Gleaner, while remaining tight-lipped about the intricate details. Having performed all over the world at various events in recent times, he said the group, which consists of Shepherd, Everaldo Creary, Chris Gordon and O’neil Peart, will be returning to their theatre roots withBreadfruit Is The New Bread Baby. “This will be the first time in years. We kinda missed the stage to an extent. It is a love of ours and we want to do some work in the theatre before we move again,” he said. “We made a decision not to (do theatre) and just work on No-Maddz. We are all students of theatre and we have done most of the performing arts, so we are known for acting. But no one has seen us on stage doing acting, music, and playing music together as No-Maddz in a scripted production.”
And with help from Lauriston Watson, Quindell Ferguson, and Grizzly’s Productions, Shepherd’s expectations are high. “It is a family show and it should be really fun. We are anticipating a nice feedback. I am expecting people to come out to see this breadfruit, this freshness. Just maybe during the fun, they can learn something,” he said. “We are going full on with this production. We aren’t doing anything but this show. We are in rehearsals and that is taking up a lot of time. And before I forget, Breadfruit Is The New Bread Baby.”
GALA OPENING ON MAY 8TH!!!!
RVP: Info@nomaddzJA.com
876 479 5678
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzptODcS-oI
