It’s not every day that one gets to sit at the feet of extraordinary human beings as they share their journey. Recently, I’ve been getting the chance to do that quite often, and that is one of my favourite things about being a GNJ Ambassador. I love to see that some of Jamacia’s greatest people come from humble beginnings, like myself. Their perseverance fuels their success. Hard work is their passion and an ingredient for success. Mr Basil Dawkins has found the recipe for success wrapped neatly in failures and ‘never give up’. Because of his perseverance, he is now enjoying his success “cake”.
Many people know Basil as talented, creative, and a world-renowned playwright. However, only a few know that he was a shy or “dark” country boy who had no interest in theatre. Yes, you read that right. The Basil Dawkins didn’t identify as a creative. In fact, he thought the men who did theatre in his days, were “sissies”. As destiny would have it, he would later find out that his initial opinion couldn’t be further from the truth.
Who is Basil Dawkins?
Basil lived in 4 parishes up to early adulthood. His mother’s career resulted in what Basil calls “a travelling life”. After graduating from Manning’s High School, he moved to Kingston to attend the University of the West Indies (UWI). At UWI, he pursued a degree in Politics and Government.
Baptism into Theatre
Despite watching countless plays produced by his mother as a child, he had never seen a professional production. This changed during his freshman year at UWI. It was required of every first-year student to watch a theatrical production during the first week of school. He reluctantly went, but during the play, a fire was lit within. He left inspired and interested.
What happened next? Watch the video below to see Part 1 of our reasoning with Basil:
Stay tuned to our YouTube Channel for the release of part 2. Come, share, boast and discuss Jamaican Culture with us.
