Theatrical production of Edgar Mittelholzer’s life and legacy to debut at NCC

Guyanese theatre lovers will have the rare chance to dive deep into the life and complexities of Edgar Mittelholzer, the Caribbean’s first published author, through the play “A Pleasant Career”, at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) on Saturday, March 1, and Sunday, March 2.
Written by Dr. Michael Gilkes, with dramaturge Dr. Henry Muttoo, this production takes the audience on a mesmerizing journey into Mittelholzer’s brilliant yet troubled world.

The production is being staged by Gems Theatre Productions, and is the journey into the luminous and turbulent life of Edgar Mittelholzer, whose brilliance lit up the literary world of Guyana, and whose inner demons led him into tragic self-destruction.
Edgar Austin Mittelholzer (December 16, 1909 – May 6, 1965) was a Guyanese novelist. He is the earliest professional novelist from the English-speaking Caribbean, and was able to develop a readership in Europe and North America, as well as in the Caribbean. He established himself in London, where he lived almost exclusively, by writing fiction. He is considered the most prolific novelist to be produced by the Caribbean.
According to a press release from Gems Theatre Productions, the presentation is also supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport under the ‘One Guyana’ theme.
Directed by Ron Robinson and assisted by Russell Lancaster, the play brings together a veteran team of actors: Michael Ignatius, Rovindra Persaud, Mark Luke-Edwards, Derek Gomes, Russell Lancaster, Dwayne Hackett, Nathaniel Powers, Sonia Yarde, Latiefa Agard, Abigail Brower, Amrita Khoshall, Jude Holder and Kevin Smith.
Dr. Michael Gilkes’s script is both a celebration of artistic genius and a raw exploration of the human psyche under pressure — a narrative that resonates deeply within our cultural landscape.
“In staging this play, our vision was to evoke the vibrant yet conflicted spirit of the Caribbean. The set and lighting have been designed to mirror the dual nature of Mittelholzer’s existence: moments of incandescent creativity interspersed with shadows of isolation and despair,” Director Ron Robinson stated in a recent press release.
He also mentioned that a minimalist route has been chosen because it would allow the speech-driven aspects of the show to convey its message.
“We’ve chosen a minimalist aesthetic to keep the audience’s focus on the emotional cadence of the performance, allowing the language and the layered symbolism to speak for themselves. Our actors are called upon to traverse the spectrum of human emotion —from the fervour of creative passion to the depths of existential crisis. Each gesture, pause and intonation is crafted to capture the delicate balance between genius and madness,” Robinson has said.
Nevertheless, it has been highlighted that this play is not simply a biographical account, but is a meditation on the burdens and ecstasies of creative life, reflecting broader themes of identity, legacy, and the sometimes-cruel demands of artistic excellence.
GEMS Theatre Productions invites persons to experience the story of Edgar Mittelholzer as a living, breathing testament to the triumphs and tragedies that shape us all. Welcome to an evening where every shadow tells a story and every light reveals a hidden truth, the release has noted.
Students of the Department of Language and Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Education and Humanities of the University of Guyana, along with Grades 10 & 11 students of secondary schools, are invited to attend the Sunday performance. It is planned to have an interactive Zoom discussion at the end of this performance with Dr. Juanita Cox, a specialist on Edgar Mittelholzer.
Tickets each cost $2,000 and are available at the National Cultural Centre box office. The Saturday production begins at 20:00h, and the Sunday at 13:00h.