When I knew that the trip to South Africa was confirmed, I gave some thought to what production I might offer.  My first idea was Aesop, a play I wrote at the end of the 90s, based on his fables (the Hare and the Tortoise et al.)  However, I soon decided that this was both lazy and ill-judged, and that it would be much more appropriate to write something with an African theme.  It would also give me the opportunity to tailor the piece to the strengths of the school: to include opportunities for song (DCS has the most astonishing choir), as well as dance, drumming, marimba… and anything else that presented itself.

​

               I happened to have a copy of African Folk Tales on my bookshelf, and this seemed an ideal solution: to choose a number of stories, and dramatise each one separately, before putting them into a coherent order.  This would allow for a variety of styles, and maximize the number of roles available.  Besides, it was a style I was familiar with, having previously adapted quite a few tales from around the world.

​

               The source-book had about a hundred tales, but it proved surprisingly difficult to find enough which fitted my needs, being too long, too short, too rambling…  However, one by one, suitable stories presented themselves (though I was pleased when I remembered I had already written Anansi, the story of the trickster spider.