Packed stands for Kambule riot re-enactment at NAPA

A slight drizzle did not deter spectators from attending the re-enactment of the Kambule riots, as all three stands in the car park of the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port of Spain, were filled to capacity from 4 am on Friday.

The re-enactment, which is usually held at the Piccadilly Greens, Port of Spain, is a staple of the Carnival season and is the first one staged since Trinidad and Tobago recorded its first case of covid19 in March 2020.

The show, which was originally scheduled to begin at 5 am, began at 5.30 am, as the setting-up of electrical equipment had to be paused.

Speaking with Newsday after the performance, producer and director Attillah Springer said she was moved by the turnout of spectators for the show.

She said while the size of the cast and the venue was significantly scaled down to meet covid19 safe-zone requirements, the spirit and willingness of the performers were encouraging.

"I'm very heartened. We got word last night that the tickets were sold out, but then I got worried because it began raining, so I thought people wouldn't come.

"But from 4 am people gathered with their umbrellas and towels to sit on the bleachers. People waited and were patient when we set up our technical equipment that we couldn't set up because it was raining, and so I feel very heartened by that.

"I feel it is testament to the fact that there is a space for this kind of event in the Carnival season, and that we are really motivated and inspired by people's interest in the production.

"Everybody has been 100 per cent on board. We usually have a cast of something like 100 people; this year we have 30, so it's a huge reduction. But other people who have been involved in the cast in previous years have come on board to help us backstage, to help us with the production side of things, and for that we feel really encouraged."

Springer added that the performance was a significant one not only because it was the first live performance of the re-enactment since the beginning of the pandemic but also because it was the beginning of the Kambule Movement Performing Arts Company
(KAMPAC), which will aim to spread the story of the origins of TT's Carnival abroad.

The 1881 Kambule riots came about when the British colonial government tried to restrict some aspects of the Carnival celebrations. The unrest culminated in a confrontation between the colonial police, led by Capt Baker, and revellers.

The performance featured traditional mas characters including pierrot grenades who served as narrators, the baby doll and the Dame Lorraine, together with actors who played revellers.

Two other performances are scheduled for Friday at 7.30 pm and Sunday at 11.30 pm.