Rudolf Douala Manga Bell: A play of the Cameroonian king who defied German tyranny

This is a tale of one of the heroes of Cameroonian history, Rudolf Duala(or Douala) Manga Bell, who stood against the Germans in the 1910s in Kamerun. His courage, and strong determination earned him the right of martyr and hero in the history of the Douala people, and thus of Cameroon.

This play tells the story of the Duala people in Douala, the economic capital.

Behind this piece cleverly prepared and conceived for months, is Max Mbakop:

"When we were looking for a play, we came across the book Rudolph Ngum A Jémea by David Mbamga Eyombwan, a book that really touched us and we decided to put it on stage."

The play, indeed is an adaptation of the book by David Mbamga Eyombwan, entitled Ngum A Jémea, which is in fact the story of the hero Douala Manga Bell, crowned Douala chief, a resistance fighter against the Germans, although he was trained by them. He was found guilty of high treason and hanged on August 8, 1914.

A staged presentation that allowed the public to discover new talents such as the main actress Joelle Mefodam.

"I accepted the role of Engome Dayas the wife of Rudolphe Douala Manga Bell, because for me it allows me to take my first steps in the theater. In addition the piece is emblematic because it speaks of the history of Cameroon."

The theater remains unique, according to the director, this is because it transmits warmth and emotions. Moreover, it is an excellent channel for disseminating and promoting Cameroonian culture, because many people have discovered a history they weren't aware of.

"It was a way for us to awaken the consciousness of Cameroonians, to allow our children our little brothers, because there are even people of our generation, our parents who do not know the true story of Rudolphe Douala Manga Bell, it was time for us and very important to stage this story and talk to the general public and recount who really was Douala Manga Bell," further stressed Max Mbakop.

This group of young Cameroonians who decided to promote the story through the theaters intend to present the play in the coming days in Yaoundé before moving on to other projects.