Playwright Banna Desta has brought an often-overlooked ancient African civilization to life in her latest work – a compelling audio drama about an increasingly tyrannical queen and her scheming twin sons.
“As well as wanting the audience to be entertained – because the play is good entertainment – I wanted to add another dimension to the human understanding of Africa,” Desta told the BBC.
“I wanted to write about a time when the continent was not affected by colonialism and when there were advanced societies,” she says.
The Abyssinians were settled in the 5th century in the Aksumite Empire, also known as the Kingdom of Aksum.
Aksum was a rich and influential monarchy that, at its peak, spanned the territory of today’s northern Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, southern Saudi Arabia and western Yemen. It lasted almost 1000 years, from about 100 BC to 960 AD.
It was there that Christianity first arrived in Africa and the first coins were minted on that continent.
It lay at the heart of the trade network between India and the Mediterranean, and its ships controlled the Red Sea trade through the port of Adulis and the overland routes of north-east Africa.
In the third century, it was considered one of the four great world powers, along with Persia, Rome and China.
“I feel like Aksum is completely left out of that picture. Ethiopia is the cradle of civilization – and yet I feel like it’s never really included in our understanding of global history,” says Desta.
She chose that part of the world and that period of history because of her personal connections. She was born in the US to a mother from Tigray in northern Ethiopia and a father from Eritrea – the same areas that were at the heart of the ancient Aksumite Empire.
“The impetus was really just wanting to learn more about the pre-colonial era – and I thought a wonderful place to start was my own heritage and ancestry.”
The Abyssinians, published by Audible and directed by Shariffa Al, is Desta’s first audio game. It is a tragicomedy that mixes historical facts with the author’s imagination.
The play “is actually also about the ways in which people hold on to their humanity in times of tremendous change,” says Desta.
It tells the story of a monarchy at the crossroads of history.
Queen Yodit must decide which of her twin sons – Caleb or Negus – must succeed to the throne, just as she struggles with social and economic upheaval and conflicting beliefs about religion and rights. There is also romance.
“Queen Yodit is…complex, regal, cunning, raw, sensual and believable,” says Danielle Deadwyler – the Bafta-nominated film star who played the role.
The character of Yodit was partly inspired by the real Queen Yodit – or Judith – who ruled at a different time than the period in which the story is set.
She is a figure shrouded in mystery due to the lack of historical records and conflicting folklore about who she was.
Some consider her dictatorial and instrumental in the fall of Aksum, says Desta – who traveled to Ethiopia as part of her research for the play.
“I thought she was a good jumping off point for that type of character,” says Desta.
“I think a lot of times the characters of female leaders have to be so ‘on point’ – and I like the idea of a woman being a tyrant in this period of history.”
Writer James Baldwin once said that artists are “emotional or spiritual historians” – and those words resonated deeply with Desta as she wrote the play.
“I wanted to explore the whole spectrum of human emotions – the private feelings of the characters, the things they struggle with as human beings that have nothing to do with their public roles,” she told the BBC.
Queen Yodit was a character that Desta felt didn’t have much love in her life.
“A lot of her reactions to the world come from not being valued as a partner and not necessarily feeling like she has a place or that she’s chosen to be a leader,” says Desta.
Another female character written to break stereotypes is Makeda, played by Arsema Thomas from Queen Charlotte spin-off Bridgerton.
She was sent to work as a servant in the royal household to pay off her father’s debts. But she’s also someone “who can think for herself, can think beyond her station in life and is a global thinker.”
Despite the fact that the plot is set in the world of antiquity, the dialogues and dry humor in The Abyssinians make it modern and relevant.
Queen Yodit in particular likes to drop a sarcastic comment in the middle of a serious moment.
The production features original Ethio-jazz music by DA Mekonnen, an Ethiopian-American musician, and Andrew Orkin – and features Ethiopian-born multi-instrumentalist Kibrom Birhane.
“The gratutura parallels and complements the tone of the show,” says Desta, “because I feel like a lot of Ethiopian music has that ancient quality, and then jazz has that sort of contemporary spin.”
Tony winner André De Shields described participating in The Abyssinians as “an opportunity to return to one’s ancient culture” and an illustration of “the power of art to transform lives.”
For Desta, it was crucial that the characters be played by actors of the black diaspora.
The cast also includes Zainab Jah, who won Best Actress in 2021 for Farewell Amor at Fespac, Africa’s leading film festival.
Chukwudi Iwuji, who began his acting career with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Great Britain, and Phillip James Brannon, best known for his roles on Broadway and in Contagion, also star.
“The talent was amazing,” says Desta, “I know that doesn’t really happen to a lot of early playwrights, so I’m especially grateful.”
Destin’s next goal is to bring The Abyssinians to the stage with, he hopes, the same line-up.
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