The President’s Whisperer
In a nation where the corridors of power echo with empty promises and the only thing trickling down is absurdity, one man holds the keys to the kingdom-and he doesn't have a clue.
Welcome to the Republic of Ba-Dimma, a fictional West African nation grappling with the ghosts of its past and the grotesque comedies of its present. At the helm is President Jalang Darboe, a man of astonishing incompetence armored with unshakable self-regard. Chained to his side is Dr. Jongfolo Tambajang, his brilliant, Harvard-educated chief advisor, whose formidable intellect is slowly corroding as he whispers simple answers into the ear of a leader who believes printing money is a economic strategy and declaring a "National Kindness Day" is a valid response to an armed robbery crisis.
From the hallowed halls of the National Assembly-where debates are adjourned due to "thermal inefficiency"-to the opulent, soulless presidential office, this devastatingly sharp satire lays bare the tragicomedy of power. Through eighteen biting acts, playwright Dr. Edrissa Ken-Joof masterfully chronicles a government's relentless pursuit of self-enrichment: from legislating a king's ransom for the president's retirement and appointing a goat herder to run the national telecom, to outsourcing national security and debating the ocean's "ambition."
With a cast of characters including a fiery civil rights activist, a socialist intellectual lost in theory, a sycophantic Speaker, and a cunning former dictator, The President's Whisperer is more than a play-it is a mirror held up to the fragile state of democracy in a post-colonial world. It is a story of the cynical "donor dance," the crushing weight of tribalism, and the quiet, resilient heroism of ordinary citizens who endure the consequences of breathtaking misrule.
Praise for the Playwright's Vision:
"Born from a place of deep, frustrated love for my motherland," writes Dr. Ken-Joof, this work is for "the market women, the taxi drivers, the teachers, and the activists who endure the consequences of bad governance with a resilience that is both inspiring and heartbreaking."
For readers of: sharp political satire, astute African literature, and works that blend humor with profound social commentary.
A hilarious, heartbreaking, and unforgettable tour de force that proves when reason fails and tragedy becomes routine, laughter may be the last tool left to shame the powerful and awaken the complacent.
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