Hall, May 15-17 "Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again'', which was performed at the City Hall Theatre on May 15, 16 and 17, is a comedic exploration of nothing less than a complete change in the accepted culture of a society -- in this case, the dominance of men.

Author Ola Rotimi combined the Moslem religion, where polygamy is the accepted practice, and the military -- a macho environment in any country in the world -- and came up with the character of Rahman Taslim Lejoka-Brown, also known as Di Major, performed brilliantly by Rotimi Martins. This army officer, planning his strategy for entering the political arena, is a puffed up popinjay who treats his wives (there are two in the first instance) like servants. They, in turn, treat him like an overlord. Having more than one wife is not at all unusual -- Di Major's grandfather had 115 wives, he explains at one point in the play.

The plot is set with the impending arrival of Liza, spouse number three, an American and a Catholic, who knows nothing of her fellow wives. Di Major knows full well that Liza will not be willing to share that role.

The result -- a hysterical series of events, where Di Major tries to prevent Liza from meeting his other wives -- Mama Rashida, well performed by Amani Flood, and Sikira, marvelously portrayed by Enid Christopher.

Of course, they all do meet and the truth does come out.

The second part of the play is no less funny, but it tackles a more serious subject. Di Major, in attempting to realise his political ambitions, finds that Liza has been teaching Sikira and Mama Rashid about women's rights, and that it is his own wives, in the end, who thwart his political ambitions.

Throughout the action, Di Major has the support of his friend, Gideon Abednego Okonkwo, who has been educated in the west and thus represents the western view on the events of the play. Gene Harvey played this role, and his was quite superb in it, providing an essential balance to Di Major.

Pat Pogson, one of Bermuda's finest directors, did an outstanding job with this production. Ms Pogson's hallmark is a dynamic production, with lots of movement on stage, keeping the action interesting and lively. Pace is another of her hallmarks, and this play clipped along at a good speed.

It was a brilliant idea to bring in the Bermuda African Dance Company and the Mandela Freedom Drummers, who provided a wonderful atmosphere reflecting the excitement of a political campaign at the beginning and at the end of the play.

I thought such a fine piece of theatre deserved a wonderful set. However, it was fairly minimalist. The audience -- and this play filled City Hall -- I think would have enjoyed a realistic interpretation of various African scenes.

That aside, it was a very fine production, and one that I, and the whole audience enjoyed very much. ---- Rebecca Zuill THEATRE REVIEW REV THE