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Roderick Alden Walcott and his twin brother Derek Walcott were born on January 23rd, 1930 to Alix and Warwick Walcott. The twin had one older sister, Pamela. Warwick Walcott died in 1931, and the Walcott children were brought up by their well-loved mother ‘Teacher Alix.’
Mr. Walcott had been awarded the Saint Lucia Medal of Honour (Gold) “for eminent and outstanding contribution to the Literary and Performing Arts” during the Independence celebrations in the year 2000.
His trilogy of plays, “The Benjy Trilogy”, published by Ian Randle Publishers, was launched at the Department of Culture on February 25th, 2000. In January, of the same year, he was the recipient of the Joseph Devaux Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual M & C Fine Arts Awards. In 1976, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for outstanding theatrical work in St. Lucia.
Roderick Walcott is remembered as the leader of the St. Lucia Arts Guild during the fifties and sixties, from 1951 to 1967. For many years, the group presented the best of international and regional drama to local audiences. The popular “Roddy” was highly respected throughout the region as a playwright, screenwriter, painter, theatre director, costume and set designer, song lyricist and literary editor. Mr. Walcott also led the Turks steel band, and is acknowledged as one of the pioneers of Saint Lucian carnival.
He is regarded as one of the founders of modern Caribbean Theatre. His play “The Harrowing of Benjy” still remains the most produced play in the English-speaking Caribbean. His now-famous musical “The Banjo Man” was staged by Saint Lucia for the first Carifesta in Guyana in 1972, and was a huge success. It was part of a trilogy that included “Chanson Marianne” (1974) and “Romiel ec Violette” (1979). These plays featured the local flower festivals of La Rose and La Marguerite. His collaboration with Charles Cadet produced many folk songs that have now become classic Saint Lucian songs.
A listing of the playwright’s works includes 17 dramas, 8 musicals and 2 screenplays. He also painted, and staged a one-man exhibition of his work in 1978 in Saint Lucia.
In 1968, Roderick Walcott and his family moved to Canada, where the playwright studied theatre arts at York University in Toronto from 1969-1973. He returned to Saint Lucia in the late seventies to become the island’s first Director of Culture from 1977-1980. He represented Saint Lucia at international cultural conferences and headed delegations to Carifesta in 1972 and 1979 (Cuba). He returned to Canada in 1980, but visited Saint Lucia periodically to produce his plays.
Roderick Alden Walcott passed away on the night of March 6th, 2000 after a prolonged illness. He was 70 years old.
(Extract taken from The Voice Newspaper: Tuesday, 14th March 2000, Pg. 8) |
