Vincentian crime drama 'Number Seven' premieres in New York for independence celebrations
Kevin Roderiques's play, with an all-Vincentian cast, was staged in Brooklyn as part of St Vincent and the Grenadines' 47th independence anniversary.
NEW YORK, United States. Vincentian playwright Kevin Roderiques's crime drama "Number Seven" made its New York debut on Saturday 24 October, staged as part of St Vincent and the Grenadines' 47th independence anniversary celebrations.
The play, written and directed by Roderiques of ASK Enterprise Ltd, was performed at the Nazareth Regional High School auditorium in Brooklyn. It was first staged at Russell's Auditorium in Kingstown on 5 September and has also been shown in Grenada and St Lucia.
A seven-day countdown
The story opens on 7 July 2007, when a renowned but corrupt lawyer, Douglas Hamilton, is found shot dead in his study. Detective Adams has seven days to stop the killer striking again, as suspects including Hamilton's wife, his mistress, a politician, a crime boss and his receptionist each emerge with a motive.
Roderiques said the production was "the first Vincentian play to address crime within the upper echelons of society" and described its 12-member, all-Vincentian cast as "cultural ambassadors for the nation."
"For 30 years, I have poured my heart onto stages across this nation," said Roderiques, who leads the Agape Performing Arts Theatre. "'Number Seven' is my gift to the people who believed in Vincentian theatre when belief was hard to find."
Diaspora support
Sherrill-Ann Mason Haywood, chair of the SVG Diaspora Committee of New York, who served as New York production manager, said the turnout suggested "an appetite among our Vincentian and Caribbean people" for such productions.
Live music came from the Magma Band, co-owned by producer Adrian Bailey and his wife, Chanique Bailey, the 2026 Vincy Mas Calypso Monarch, who debuted her song "Vincy Forever" at the event.
St Vincent and the Grenadines' Consul General to the United States, Roland "Patel" Matthews, called the production "a truly fulfilling experience" and said it could travel beyond the region with the right investment.
"The talent is there," he said. "Let us create the opportunities for it to shine."
