The performance group Nomaddz returns to the theater with the staging of their new production “Breadfruit is the New Bread, Baby.” The play will run at the Theatre Place, New Kingston and opens tomorrow, May 8, 2013, and will run through the month. The group refers to the theatrical production as a “dubical.” Tanya Batson-Savage (Susumba) writes:

The name, Breadfruit is the New Bread, Baby, is one of the latest ‘nomaddizms’ which group member Sheldon Shepherd began using during his acceptance speech at the 2012 American Black Film Festival where he copped the Best Actor Award for his role in the feature film Better Mus Come. As the group have explained at various live engagements, the term pays homage to the fact that we need to return to the more natural with “breadfruit” offering far more nutrients than “bread” though bread is more popular.

According to a press release sent out by the group, Breadfruit is the New Bread, Baby blends Nomaddz’ eclectic music and their theatrical roots. “It’s normal for Nomaddz. It [acting] is our forte,” says Shepherd explaining the group’s decision to stage a full-length production. “We’re all actors so it’s normal for us to merge our performance with a scripted work,” he said. It has however been a long time since the group has staged a full theatrical piece and the month long performance will be a first for the group.

Nomaddz last staged a theatrical production in 2004 when their career as a group was still in its infancy. The production, staged at the Louise Bennett Garden Theatre, was dubbed Nomaddz in Concert: Youth in Action. In the interim however, they have individually accrued much stage time appearing in several plays including Trevor Rhone’s Positive and Smile Orange, Karl William’s The Black That I Am and Aston Cooke’s Country Duppy and Me and Me Chapsie.  Shepherd explained that the moniker “dubical” was far more suited to the production than musical. The show, slated to play five nights per week will proffer a 2-hour programme of music and sketches across a unified theme. “Dubical has a vibration when you even say the word,” Shepherd said. “It’s more active than musical.”

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