Showhat and Sowhat

by Taban Lo Liyong

This play explores the lives of two divergent families: the Showhats and the Sowhats. Showhat is a boisterous arrogant bully with little regard for the less privileged but philosophical Sowhat. Their worlds clash when Sowhat's daughter falls pregnant to Showhats son. Enraged, Sowhat attacks Showhat who retaliates leading to an arrest. In an odd judgement Showhat must move in with Mrs Sowhat and vice versa. Meanwhile, the children retreat peacefully to their haven: the Sacred Grove. Taban exposes the complexity of the adult world and juxtaposes it with the simplicity and serenity that defines childhood. The play is a multifaceted parable that pours scorn on the consumerism of the rich in society without sparing the vanity of empty sloganeering of the philosophical poor.

Categories: