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.
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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 201709:45BBC Radio 4 FM
- Wed 19 Apr 201700:30BBC Radio 4
