Five Questions with Dahlia Harris
Published:Friday | June 30, 2023 | 12:27 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
Award-winning writer, producer and actress, Dahlia Harris, is on a roll with her latest comedy revue, Jamaica Land We Love, which is scheduled to run from July to September at the Little Little Theatre, Arthur Wint Drive, St Andrew.
Some of the topics up for discussion in the revue are the traffic amnesty, constitutional reform, Gordon House fracas, Jamaica 61 and more, and from the responses on her social media pages, fans are already tickled without even hearing the first line of Jamaica Land We Love. Perhaps it has something to do with the cast. Directed by Akeem Mignott, the show has an all-star cast including stage and screen actors Everaldo Creary, Maylynne Lowe, Kadeem Wilson, Junior Williams and Harris herself. Holding the reigns over on the production side are award-winning choreographer Kevin Moore, musical director Leighton Jones with composer/arranger Jon Williams.
Not surprisingly, Jamaica Land We Love is described as being “awash with punchlines, musical oomph and keen observations” and also added to that is the fact that Harris “brings her reputation as a versatile storyteller, presenting current affairs, politics, and straight from the headlines events, to a delightful pot of fun that boils over with laugh-out-loud entertainment”.
The format of the revue includes numerous skits, songs, dances, and poems in a variety of performance forms for all ages.
The wearer of many hats, Harris, who is also a television and radio personality, public speaker, film and theatre director and co-franchise holder of the Miss Jamaica World (MJW) beauty pageant, is also co-host on the popular Jamaican morning show, Smile Jamaica.
Five Questions With caught up with Harris for a quick chat about Jamaica Land We Love.
1. How would you describe Jamaica Land We Love?
The play brings our ever-colourful, ever-happening nation to life through slices of all the important events that have happened in recent times. In addition to a dozen or so skits, the revue contains songs, dances, and poems in a variety of performance forms for all ages. It will give audiences an opportunity to reflect on some of our most contentious and difficult moments in a way that allows us to ‘tek kin teet kibba heartbun’. We want them to come away from the experience with a bellyful of laughter, but also a re-energised sense of patriotism for our island home.
2. With the rise of social media we keep hearing the expression “Jamaica is not a real place” because of the sometimes bizarre happenings. Is any of this captured in ‘Jamaica Land We Love’?
Its interesting that you asked because there is a line in our theme song which says, “No watch no face, we is a real place!”. The entire show is framed on that premise. We present the things that make us unique, including our challenges, but we also demonstrate how as a people we respond to those challenges and issues. Our people are real and so that defines us as real because we make the place.
3. Is this your first play post pandemic?
We did a remount of God’s Way 2 last year, but this is my first original work since the official post pandemic announcement.
4. What has the rehearsals been like?
Rehearsals have been very exciting. I have a principle that if we don’t have fun the audience won’t. It’s been an exciting challenge to hit the nuances of our people and we can’t wait to showcase what we’ve been doing.
5. Is there any particular reason why your patriotism is shining now through ‘Jamaica Land We Love’?
My patriotism always shines, but I feel like our society is at a place where we need to be reminded of our greatness. It’s my tribute to Jamaica and our culture.
BRAWTA:
What can patrons expect?
The beauty of a revue is to see diverse characters come to life. The cast was specially selected based on their experience in revues and their capacity to capture the nuances of each character. What audiences get as a result is an amazing collage of Jamaicans they know and love.