Acclaimed Ghanaian playwright, director, and songwriter Kobina Ansah is raising the flag of Ghana high in Europe as he headlines a major theatre season.
On Tuesday, November 25, he will deliver a widely anticipated talk titled ‘Beyond the Curtain: Theatre as a Catalyst for Social Transformation’ at the prestigious Casa di Quartiere Garibaldi in Milan, Italy.
The event forms part of Una Stagione Scintillante, a city-wide festival celebrating Milan as a European crossroads of theatre and music.
Kobina Ansah is the only Ghanaian featured in this year’s event, which includes performers from Finland, Greece, Romania, Turkey, UK, US, and Italy.
Championing Theatre With Purpose
In his presentation, Kobina Ansah will explore how theatre can move beyond entertainment to become a force for reflection, resistance and renewal in society.
He will speak on the power of storytelling to expose corruption, confront inequality, spark empathy and inspire collective action — themes deeply present in his body of work.
Kobina Ansah is widely known in Ghana and beyond for creating socially-conscious theatre.
His plays ‘I Want To Sue God!’ and ‘My Wife-In-Law’ are studied in universities locally and internationally.
For over a decade, his productions have boldly tackled issues such as rape, corruption, tribalism, unemployment and the pressures of lavish weddings.
He made history with his groundbreaking musical ‘In the Pants of a Woman’, the first original Ghanaian musical themed on rape.
He is also credited as the first theatre artist in Ghana to integrate sign-language interpreters into his productions to improve accessibility for deaf audiences.
Beyond the Stage
Kobina Ansah writes a column for The Mirror, Ghana’s most widely read weekly newspaper.
Together with his wife, he co-authors children’s books that address social themes — including Animuonyam The Bully Stopper, Animuonyam and The Queer Man, and Animuonyam and The Child Called It.
Ghanaian Talent on a Global Stage
The Milan event, organised by English Theatre Milan, features over twenty theatre and musical events throughout November and December.
Kobina Ansah’s inclusion highlights the growing recognition of Ghanaian theatre practitioners on the global arts scene.
As the writer of ‘The Saint In The Devil’s Shoes’ takes centre stage in Italy, he continues to embody the power of Ghanaian creativity to inspire change, spark conversation and cross borders.