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Tamrat in the Cyclops' Cave

Alemu Tebeje's poetic drama follows Tamrat from his idyllic boyhood in the mountains of Ethiopia through love, student protest to flight from the police, the big-eyed Cyclops.

Reading Homer, the poet Alemu Tebeje was struck by how much the Cyclops' cave was like the Ethiopia that he had to leave. His poetic drama follows Tamrat as he grows up. His boyhood playing in the mountains - and a cave - is idyllic. He falls in love, but becomes involved in student protests and, hunted by a metaphoric Cyclops, the all-seeing, but narrow-sighted police, has to flee.

Tamrat in the Cyclops' Cave is a collaboration with the English poet Chris Beckett, who speaks Amharic. It is a richly sonic piece, in both languages, performed by a cast of Ethiopians living here, with music and sound from Addis Ababa and the mountains.

Writer and Narrator Alemu Tebeje

Producer: Julian May.

15 minutes

Credits

Role Contributor
Writer Alemu Tebeje
Narrator Alemu Tebeje
Young Tamrat Leykun Birhanu
Shepherd Birhanu Tebeje
Policeman Birhanu Tebeje
Tamrat's Mother Etalem Eshete
Boy Jerome Tadesse
Boy Leykun Birhanu
Student Tamrat Girma Abay
Almaz Ehuye Negash
Producer Julian May

Broadcasts

  • Tue 18 Apr 2017 09:45
  • Wed 19 Apr 2017 00:30