by Derek Walcott
directed by Yvonne Brewster, designed by Ellen Cairns

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Derek Walcott

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Derek Walcott's work has always been inspiring, and over the years I have been slowly working my way through his canon of work. Two things drew me to this piece again: my long time friend Sam Walters of the Orange Tree suggested I read it once more, thanks Sam; and then there was the title in these days of BSE, but although no mad cows appeared, a very funny play with lovely light-hearted puns, ridiculous situations and a bunch of compelling characters perfect for whiling away the winter blues, just jumped off the page.

But Beef is not only a good laugh it also speaks to people all over the world not-withstanding their different states of 'development.' When the play was written twenty years ago, the citizens of the tiny nation states of the Caribbean basin were attempting to stand up for their rights, hold on to their self respect in the face of political expediency blatantly practised by the politicians who were bullying roads and runways for holiday jets through virgin forest.

True, Castro strutting it in Cuba gave rise to the mirage that change was possible and that people might be governed if not well, at least fairly. Sadly twenty years later, Beef, No Chicken needs little or no updating. Not much has changed... and Castro is still strutting it in Cuba...

Closer to home, although our memories are notoriously short I suspect the media images of the men and women in tree houses fighting to keep Newbury bypass from bypassing will endure.

Footnote: "My policy is roads before writers, sewers before surrealism"
Deacon Doxy in Walcott's O Babylon!, Derek Walcott