Created by Duane Forrest
Produced by Duane Forrest | Scarborough, ON
Review by Mer Weinhold
60 mins / G / Documentary Theatre, Musical, Storytelling
To start, anyone who enjoys singing along to Bob Marley’s music will have a wonderful time at this show. If this describes you, go ahead and get tickets—you don’t need to read the rest of this review.
In Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed the World, playwright and singer-songwriter Duane Forrest performs several reggae songs, from the very beginnings of the genre through to the present and his own work, explaining the historical and cultural context of each song. He discusses reggae’s personal, national, and global impact through stories from his life growing up in Toronto as a Black Jamaican-Canadian and the significant historical events related to Marley’s songs and performances.
Duane Forrest in Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed the World. Photo by Cegaw.
Forrest is exuberant in his joy in and enthusiasm for reggae, sharing his experiences of how it helped him connect to his cultural heritage. He traces influences on the genre back to American country music and Jamaican mento, which in turn was shaped by enslaved West African people bringing their musical traditions to the Caribbean. The trans-Atlantic slave trade is, of course, a significant part of the story of reggae, and it’s discussed frankly throughout the show.
Most of Bob Marley‘s runtime is musical performances, and Forrest delivers an impressively complete sound with only a guitar and vocals. One aspect I particularly enjoyed is how reggae’s messages of unity and love are enacted via the medium of audience sing-alongs, since it’s hard not to feel goodwill for the whole theatre when you’re enjoying singing together as a group.
This is a fun, engaging show for all ages—and based on the packed theatre on opening night, I’d recommend booking tickets ASAP if you’d like to go.
Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed the World is at ODD Box from June 15–22. Tickets are $14 plus service fees at the Fringe box office (3rd floor, Arts Court, 2 Daly Avenue), and at the three satellite box offices (LabO in the Ottawa Art Gallery, Fringe Courtyard, 67 Nicholas St and La Nouvelle Scène). Five and ten Show Passes are also available. Visit the Ottawa Fringe Festival’s website for the show’s schedule and check out their online schedule here.
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