By John Owoo
Accra – Ghana: A one-woman theatre performance characterized by a satire within a satire last Friday captivated an enthusiastic audience during a brilliant performance at the Goethe-Institut in Accra.
Dubbed “It’s in the Blood” and performed by Germany based Ghanaian actress Gifty Wiafe, the piece virtually took the audience on a cool journey of issues facing contemporary Germany and Ghana as well as other parts of the world.

With a boundless power of words and jargons courtesy of a wonderful script by Petra Kindler, Wiafe’s prowess at storytelling was evident as she conjured humorous anecdotes on diverse issues ranging from religion, imported food, visa problems, migration, gender issues, snow, traffic offences, e-waste, culture shock, traditions and spirituality.
“It is a remarkably clever piece of comedy that reminds us of past experiences alongside issues that currently confront us. Undeniably, the performance while commenting on various issues equally managed to leave us with our own thoughts and imaginations”, said Yaw Annoh, a theatre director in Accra.
With stories honestly delivered without any form of embellishment, the piece is charismatic with personal stories alongside a chain of events that touch of the lives and experiences of most of the members of the audience.
The play does not meet all expectations, but that is what makes it impressive – it is actually thought provoking without being preachy while exposing uncomfortable truths about the world – a feat the director archives in an hour and a half.
Exiting from an extra-large “Ghana Must Go” bag at the beginning, Wiafe exhibited amazing skill and dexterity as she played calabash / talking drums, sang local folk songs while showcasing her prowess with traditional Ghanaian dances – a scenario that regularly interspersed her narrative.
With a simple scenography comprising printed photos of fabrics and paintings on wood panels by Henry Nyadiah, the young actress infused the show with a string of terrific jokes and comic routines of her own, which attracted constant cheers from the mixed audience.
“It’s in the Blood”, was directed by Barbara Kemmler and choreographed by Frank Sam with Henry Nyadiah as lighting / sound engineer. It was presented and supported by Cactus Junges Theatre (Germany), Goethe-Institut Ghana and Sisimbom Theatre Group in Accra.