Ethiopian playwright Banna Desta releases audio drama set in the Aksumite Empire happymamay

Playwright Bana Desta has brought to life an ancient, often overlooked African civilization in her latest work—a compelling audio drama about an increasingly authoritarian queen and her conniving twin sons.

“As well as wanting to entertain the audience – because the play is very entertaining – I wanted to add another dimension to people’s understanding of Africa,” Desta told the BBC.

“I wanted to write about a time when the continent was not plagued by colonialism, and there were thriving communities,” she says.

The story of the Abyssinians is set in the 5th century in the Aksumite Empire, also known as the Kingdom of Aksum.

Aksum was a wealthy and influential kingdom, which at its height extended into what is now northern Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, southern Saudi Arabia, and western Yemen. It lasted for nearly 1,000 years, from about 100 BC to 960 AD.

This was where Christianity first came to Africa and the first coins were minted on the continent.

It was located at the heart of a trade network between India and the Mediterranean, and its ships controlled the Red Sea trade via the port of Adulis and the inland routes of northeastern Africa.

In the third century, it was considered one of the world’s four great powers, along with Persia, Rome, and China.

“I feel like Axum is completely excluded from that picture,” Desta says. “Ethiopia is the cradle of civilization — and yet I feel like it has never been included in our understanding of global history.”

She chose that part of the world and that period of history because of her personal connections. She was born in the United States to a mother from Tigray in northern Ethiopia and a father from Eritrea — the same regions that were at the heart of the ancient Aksumite empire.

“The motivation was really just a desire to learn more about the pre-colonial era – and I thought a great place to start was with my heritage and ancestral lineage.”

The Abyssinians, released by Audible and directed by Sherifa Al, is Desta’s first audio play. It is a tragicomedy that mixes historical fact with the author’s imagination.

The play “is also about the ways people hold on to their humanity in times of tremendous change,” Desta says.

It tells the story of a monarchy at a crossroads in history.

Queen Judith must decide which of her twin sons – Caleb or Negus – should succeed her on the throne, just as she faces social and economic turmoil and conflicting beliefs about religion and rights. There is also romance.

“Queen Judith… is complex, regal, cunning, raw, sensual and compelling,” says Danielle Deadwyler, the BAFTA-nominated film star who plays the role.

The character of Judith was loosely inspired by the real Queen Judith – or Judith – who ruled at a different time than the period in which the play is set.

She is a figure shrouded in mystery due to the lack of historical records and conflicting folklore about her identity.

It is viewed by some as a dictator and instrumental in the downfall of Axum, says Desta – who traveled to Ethiopia as part of her research for the play.

“I thought it was a good starting point for this type of character,” Desta says.

“I often think that female leadership figures have to be ‘in their place’ – and I love the idea of ​​women being tyrants in this period of history.”

Writer James Baldwin once said that artists are “sentimental or spiritual historians”—and these words resonated deeply with Desta when she wrote the play.

“I wanted to explore the full range of human emotions – the private feelings of the characters, the things they experience as human beings that have nothing to do with their public roles,” she told the BBC.

Queen Judit was a character that Desta felt did not have much love in her life.

“A lot of her reactions to the world come from this place where she’s not respected as a partner, and she doesn’t necessarily feel like she has a place or that she’s chosen to be a leader,” Desta says.

Another female character written to break stereotypes is Makeda, played by Arsima Thomas of Queen Charlotte fame in Bridgerton.

She is sent to work as a maid in the royal house to pay off her father’s debts. But she is also someone who “can think for herself, can think beyond her station in life, and is a global thinker.”

Although the film is set in the world of antiquity, The Abyssinians’ dialogue and dry humor make it feel modern and relevant.

Queen Judit, in particular, is fond of dropping a sarcastic comment in the middle of a serious moment.

The production includes an original Ethiopian jazz score by DA Mekonnen, an Ethiopian-American musician, and Andrew Orkin – and features Ethiopian-born multi-instrumentalist Kibrom Berhane.

“The score parallels the tone of the play and complements it, because I feel like a lot of Ethiopian music has that ancient quality, and then jazz has that kind of contemporary touch,” Desta says.

Tony Award winner Andre De Shields described being in Abyssinia as “an opportunity to return to ancient culture” and illustrate “the power of art to change lives.”

It was important to Desta to have black diaspora actors play the characters.

The cast also includes Zainab Jah, who in 2021 won the Best Actress award for Farewell Amor at FESPACO, Africa’s leading film festival.

Chukwudi Ewuji, who began his acting career with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK, and Philip James Brannon, best known for his roles on Broadway and in Contagion, also co-star.

“The talent was amazing. I know that didn’t really happen for a lot of early playwrights, so I’m especially grateful,” Desta says.

Desta’s next goal is to bring The Abyssinians to the stage with the same cast, she hopes.