FANS of Turn of the Tide, which aired on local television from 1984-1990, can catch a remake of the beloved soap opera during the Tobago Performing Arts Company’s (TPAC’s) FOURCE Arts Festival at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex on June 1.
The ground-breaking series, which showcased Tobagonian life in an unapologetically authentic fashion, introduced the country to the talents of its dynamic cast.
At the festival, several cast members of the original series will be featured alongside its current cast and crew in a panel discussion, expected to take place after the screening.
TPAC’s interim CEO and film director Jared Prima said the idea is to combine entertainment with critical discussion and educational opportunities to promote the sustainable development of Tobago’s creative economy.
Prima is passionate about the remake.
“Turn of the Tide is a tribute to Tobago’s offering to Caribbean cinema,” he said in an interview.
“It is one of the very few things that Tobago can own and say that we have given this to the filming space. So we are very excited to dive into Turn of the Tide.”
Prima said several elements of the pioneering series were used in the remake.
[caption id="attachment_1086830" align="alignnone" width="632"] Tobago Performing Arts Company’s (TPAC) interim CEO and film director Jared Prima. Photo courtesy TPAC Facebook Page -[/caption]
Apart from filming scenes in one of the original houses, Prima said TPAC also got support from some key actors like former independent senator Dr Eastlyn Mc Kenzie and Eric Powder in cameo roles.
“They have returned not to reprise their roles, but to play different roles in support of a younger cast playing the roles that were previously done in the original.”
Prima said the story, like the original, is set in the 1980s.
“We saw it as a very interesting way to connect some old themes that still exist: social pressure, insecurity within the home, community spaces and sometimes what happens when you have a drive to succeed and you try to cut someone down to get what you need. Those things still exist, so there is drama in the story.”
He said the panel discussion will allow the audience to experience nostalgia.
“It is about us celebrating the old work and really having some fun with the new work, and what a new journey for TPAC and film can really do for us. So we are going to have a call-in from our original writer, Horace Wilson, and a few members of the cast. But we are also going to allow the audience to share what they saw and inspired them in this remake.”
Conceptualised to celebrate the performing arts, the FOURCE festival, which runs from 9 am-9 pm, is a multi-pronged exposition of Tobago’s vibrant cultural heritage. Apart from performances, patrons will be exposed to workshops and discussions on dance, drama, music and film.
Referring specifically to film, Prima said, “We will be using Turn of the Tide within the FOURCE to regenerate our film space in Tobago.
"Although TPAC is still very focused on developing its four arms, we have no
