EVER BESSIE Premieres at the National Arts Festival

On 5 July, the National Arts Festival's acclaimed Arena Programme will play host to the momentous world premier of a poignant story that has been left untold, until now. 'As Ever, Bessie', written and directed by Bobbie Fitchen is an emotive play that will provide significant insight into the life and troubled psyche of world-renowned African writer, BESSIE Head. Probably most well-known as author of 'Maru', 'When Rain Clouds Gather', 'Question of Power' and 'The Collector of Treasures'. The play premieres a day before Bessie's birthday (July 6th, 1937) and runs until 7 July at the Arena Theatre, Glennie Hall.

Bessie Head's complex and conflicted life, which she lived out in exile in Botswana has been very underrated in the past. Masterfully set in the 1970's, the play tells the story of BESSIE and a stranger who share an intimate, chance encounter in the airport in Nairobi. As the story unfolds, the audience witnesses and experiences the intense turmoil of Bessie's neurotic and paranoid personality providing a much deeper understanding of Bessie's past, which has not been widely documented. The ending leaves one ENLIGHTENED yet also perplexed.

This is not a critique of BESSIE Head's writing, but rather an opportunity to understand why BESSIE was so emotionally fragile, and how she managed to deal with the difficulty of living with a mental illness.

As Ever, BESSIE deals with pertinent issues - mental illness, racism, sexual abuse, seeking a sense of identity, having to leave one's home country due to the impossible circumstances presented by the political climate and the polarisation of ethnic and cultural barriers. Themes that resonate still, even today.

On the inspiration behind the story, Bobbie explained, "I lived in Botswana for several years in the early 80's and met Bessie. There was always a 'Bessie Story', her ability to offend and upset people was legendary. I knew that she had a very disturbed childhood, and read extensively about her, her letters to Randolph Vigne and Paddy Kitchen and the very comprehensive biography by Gillian Stead Eilersen ' BESSIE HEAD: THUNDER BEHIND HER EARS', were some of my sources", she adds, "If this play can inspire people to read BESSIE Head and understand more about her circumstances, then I think BESSIE herself would be 'Well Pleased'."

'As Ever, Bessie' will have its exclusive preview performance at the Blah Blah Bar, a trendy art bar in Cape Town on Tuesday, 28 June. Entrance to the event is by invitation only, but a limited number of seats have been put aside for guests interested to attend and can be reserved on request. Those interested in attending and supporting the production can contact Margot van Wyk at margotvanwyk@gmail.com.

Plans and discussions to take 'As Ever, Bessie' abroad after the festival are also under way. Locally, the performance piece could make a notable addition to Heritage week during September and the public is urged to keep an eye on the project's Facebook page for updates.

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsEverBessieHead/

Website: https://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/events/as-ever-bessie/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOXtT0mQBn_qwPEEAHDVyuQ

Artwork designed by Archie Birch

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