THE GOOD HOPE OR DIEUNA DIAFFE
Location: Saint Louis - Senegal - Africa
"In Senegal, the fish is still paid for dearly." This core thought was the basis of the idea to adapt the Dutch theatre classic The Good Hope and produce it in Senegal. In 2005, project leader Maaike Cotterink read the piece for the first time while writing her thesis about fishery in Senegal. The idea was created to start a debate about the appalling labor conditions of the fishers through a Senegalese adaptation of the play.
The premiere of Dieuna Diaffé took place on January 1, 2008. On January 7 and 8, there was a forum in Saint Louis about the improvement of the labor conditions aboard mother ships. For the first time in the thirty-year existence of this form of fishery, employers, employees, governments, unions and the media sat together at a table for discussion. A process occurred in which more and more people and organizations got involved. The tour took place along the coast of Senegal in January 2008.
Big names from the Senegalese culture sector worked together on this project: director Jean-Pierre Leurs gave artistic advice, Marie-Madeleine Diallo played the character Kniertje and Oumou Sy made the costumes. They worked together with young, talented, unknown artists from Senegal. Director Anna Rottier made the adapted version and directed, Leoni Jansen did the final editing and gave artistic advice in the last phase of the performance.
Actress Aya Fall:
"Theatre has always been my passion and many people have always thought I would be successful because I had talent. But for me, talent was not enough, I needed experience. The day I had waited so long for finally came with the auditions for "Dieuna Diaffé". I thank God that I was chosen so that my dream has become a reality; working with the best artists from Saint Louis, such as Marie-Madeleine Diallo. The rehearsals and the tour were a true learning experience, a chance to enrich my talent. The whole group helped me through this and I am very grateful for that."
Photography: Rachel Corner
