Celebrated Ghanaian playwright and marriage counselor, Uncle Ebo Whyte, has revealed that his first two attempts at commercial theatre were disastrous, costing him money, time, and confidence.
Speaking with Irene Adubea Aning on The Career Trail programme, he recalled how his debut production was financed with a loan from his boss, which took him two years to repay.
“The first one, I took a loan from my boss, and it took me two years to pay because the production did not work. I had to recover financially and emotionally before trying again,” he said.
Determined to succeed, he tried again—this time selling his brand-new Skoda Octavia to fund the project.
“On the second attempt, I sold my car to finance the production. That car never came back. The second one was also a disaster,” he recounted.
Even his third attempt, though not a loss, still left him discouraged.
“It was on the third try that I broke even. I did not make money, but for the first time, I also did not make a loss. After the third one, I was totally discouraged. It took me another two years to pick myself up,” he explained.
Breakthrough in 2008
Uncle Ebo revealed that his breakthrough came in 2008 after preaching at a church service at the Osu Children’s Home. As he drove out of the compound, an idea for a play struck him suddenly.
“It was almost as if a tap had been opened. I drove straight to a friend’s office and started writing. That play became Unhappy Wives, Confused Husbands,” he narrated.
Although financial constraints delayed production, unexpected support from his business partner, Charles, made it possible.
“He went to his drawer, brought out a cheque book and wrote me 5,000 Ghana cedis. He didn’t even know I had a script ready,” he said.
With the seed money, Uncle Ebo boldly booked the National Theatre for two shows on 6 September 2008—something no one had attempted before. To his astonishment, both shows sold out, with over 1,000 people turned away at the gates.
“That was the first time the National Theatre was filled to capacity for a stage play,” he recalled.
A Historic Cast of First-Timers
Even more remarkable was the fact that his cast of nine actors were all first-timers.
“None was a professional actor. Many were going on stage for the very first time. All those nine are still with me after 17 years,” he noted proudly.
The runaway success of Unhappy Wives, Confused Husbands established Uncle Ebo in Ghana’s commercial theatre space, paving the way for subsequent productions under Roverman Productions.
Reflecting on the journey, he said his story proves that patience is vital.
“When God’s time is ripe, He makes it amazing. Many of us wear ourselves out trying to make things happen when the time is not right. If you have the patience to wait for the right time, when it comes, it’s always amazing.”
Source: Irene Adubea Aning
ALSO READ:
