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| MANSONG |
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| Ted Dwyer Directed by Dennis Scott Lyrics by Ted Dwyer & Dennis Scott Music by Noel Dexter Movement by Jackie Guy Set & Costumes by Henry Muttoo Props by Emma Crooks Lighting by George Carter |
The
Story Patches
of authentic history coloured by legends which have sprung up
over the years tells us that Jack Mansong was a Coromantee slave
on a Jamaican plantation who escaped and gained for himself a
reputation as a rebel against the slave owners. Legend tells us,
however, that Jack would never kill a woman. In one of his fights,
Jack lost two fingers and thereafter became known as 'l'hree Finger
Jack'. With the passing of time, Jack has emerged as one of the
heroes of old Jamaica.The 1980 Pantomime, Mansong, creates a fantasy around the story of Three Finger Jack. Another hero of the tale is Dada, an old slave skilled in the science of obeah who is like a father to Teena, a young slave girl who, it appears, is torn between her love for the slave Quashee and Three Finger Jack. The story begins with the wedding of Miss Rosa Chapman, the daughter of the estate owner, to a young British soldier, Captain Edward Whitehorn. Everyone, including the slaves, is celebrating the marriage and Dada, after a couple swigs of rum, launches out into the tale of Jack Mansong - a tale which he advises those of his listeners who are literate, to write down for posterity. Dada's story starts with the arrival of Jack on the plantation. Teena gives Dada the news and they decide to keep to themselves the secret that both she and Jack are originally from the same African tribe. (Slaves from the same tribe were not allowed to live on the same estate, as the masters feared that this might lead to rebellions). To tell more of the plot would rob the story of its surprises, part of the fun of Pantomime. Suffice it to say that good triumphs, true love conquers, and the villain gets his just desserts, in true Pantomime tradition.
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4 Tom Redcam Avenue, Kingston 5, Jamaica W.I.