Stageplay Review: With “Just the Tip”, Uncle Ebo Whyte Explores the Limits of Trust in Love and Life.

The frontrunner of Ghana’s theatre scene, Uncle Ebo Whyte and his Roverman Productions outfit have started the year with their latest quarterly play. 

Its suggestive and somewhat controversial title ‘Just The Tip’ is enough to get any adult’s attention. But the play’s theme and message are far from anything explicit and sensual than the euphemism suggests. 

The story the seasoned playwright tells with this one is indeed another one to have you pondering over some past decisions and life choices, especially on the subjects of faith, love, marriage, trust, secrets and infidelity. 

In the play, Barbara and Doc are so involved with each other, but their parents objected to the relationship and refused to let them get married. Years have passed and their other relationships have failed for one reason or the other. But their love and affection for each other remained.  

From the play, we see that Barbara’s parents are very much in love and happy with each other. Celebrating 70 years of marriage and her father still prefers to have his morning breakfast with his wife even though she is already showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease. 

They seem to be the only two people alive who know the reason why Barbara and Doc can’t be married. But it is a secret they are willing to take to their graves if they have to.

At the couple’s 70th wedding anniversary, Doc intends to ask for the blessing of Barbara’s parents one last time with the knowledge that they are both failing in health and might not be around for too long.

The play explores the importance of a tight-knit family unit and reminds us that true love can and will always be tested. It also in many ways reminds us to cherish parents and loved ones whilst they are alive and not wait till their demise till they are missed and acknowledged. 

That was a part of the play that got to me personally, I was constantly reminded of the passing of my father even though it has been two years already. The thought of possible conversations that we never had and things 

For a regular like me who had missed the last two or three Ebo Whyte plays, it was exciting to be introduced to an entirely new set of talents who remained true to the quality of talent you would expect to find on a Roverman productions stage. 

The performances for each of the characters were spot on. Together they brought life and character to the play by utilizing their individual qualities and talents.

There is a part of the play that gets the entire audience in a frenzy of excitement with a performance from one of the characters of the play. The performance includes music choices that had almost the entire auditorium on their feet singing and dancing along. 

The play also takes subtle digs at current trending political and social-economic issues much to the delight of the audience. After all, we all deserve to laugh at the current state of Ghana’s economic issues.

You would find yourself so engrossed in the play whilst you almost forget it’s the title and what it vaguely suggests right up until that high note when meaning is given as to why the title was chosen for the play.

In the end, ‘Just the Tip’ leaves you a fit of laughter with a valuable message about trust and second chances that is enough to make you want to experience the entire production all over again.

I would rate this 3.5/5 stars.

‘Just the Tip’ certainly would go down as another great play from the stables of Roverman Production. If you missed any of the showings, hopefully, it gets to be part of this year’s Festival of Plays so you can also get to see it at the National Theatre, Accra.