Everyone truly has a secret!

By Bernard Yaw ASHIADEY

Uncle Ebo has done it again! This time round he has decided to venture into unravelling secrets that have been kept under wraps for a long time. But as usual with secrets, if you reveal them to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.

In the acclaimed playwright’s newest baby, Everyone Has a Secret, he craftily brings seven friends --amongst them two couples, a reverend minister, a controversial undercover cop and a lady -- to reveal each others’ secret.

Blending comedy, love, pain, cheating, understanding and romance, the audience were kept spellbound for the better part of two hours at the National Theatre with lighting, scenic movement and the stage setting well co-ordinated.

The play opens with Reverend Osei, aka Revo, who lost his wife to suicide, inviting his closest friends for a reunion lunch. Upon arrival four of the five friends are not happy with the invitation of another of their close friends, Atta, a very controversial undercover cop who is always outspoken and a thorn in the flesh of their friendship.

Apparently Atta, who is under suspension from the Police Service for alleged bribery, has been hiding under the table set for the lunch and comes out to the chagrin of the rest. Then he starts revealing secret after secret of his friends who are against his coming.  

He first talks about the infidelity between Mr. And Mrs Bonsu. Mr. Benjamin Bonsu had been involved in a car accident while travelling to Elmina with his girlfriend, but having told his wife that he would be in Kumasi on that fateful day, he “relocated” the scene of the accident to Kumasi to hide the truth from his wife.

Atta also reveals that Mrs. Esinam Bonsu’s numerous travels to the UK for business are actually rendezvous with Martin, a drug baron.

Next secret is that of Mawuli who impregnates his maidservant but makes sure his wife does not know and sends the little girl to the village.

These secrets lead the two couples to break up. Both men try to get their women back but to no avail.

Atta then reveals the reason why he did not turn up for his own wedding. It was the fact that his friend, who he confided in betrayed him by writing a letter to his wife-to-be, Alice, stating Atta did not love him enough. But there is a deeper truth to Atta’s absence at his wedding: he discovered on his wedding day that he had HIV.

In the closing scenes, Yaa brings in Alice, Atta's disappointed fiancée so Atta can confront his fears. Yaa reveals that Atta did not show up for his wedding because he found out that he was HIV+. Alice and Atta have a heart to heart and find closure.

Meanwhile, Esinam does not believe that Martin is a drug dealer and was using her to transport drugs. Infact but for Atta's intervention, Esinam would have been arrested just like six other married women.

Revo brings the good news that Atta has been cleared of all charges and they celebrate with champagne.

The couples realise finally they have been fooling each other and everyone is at fault. They iron their differences and a drunk Rev Dr. Nkansah emerges to remarry the couples with very crazy and weird vows. It turns out that the drunk reverend in the closing scene is Atta. The friends laugh it off and Revo, the real reverend, blesses the marriages again.