Tsegaye's Mother Courage

Bertolt Brecht was first introduced to Ethiopia by the poet, playwright, essayist and artist Tsegaye Gebremedhin(1936–2006), who was inspired by the play Mother Courage and Her Children to write his own Amharic version of Mother Courage. Although he adopted some elements from Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children – such as the wagon and the character of the Mute – the play was completely different from the original. His play premiered at the Ethiopian National Theatre in 1975. 

Enat Alem Tenu - እናት ዓለም ጠኑ was the Amharic title of the play. It was a great success, and many people attended the performances several times. At that time, it had been just one year since the revolution in Ethiopia, and Tsegaye's text fit well with the situation at the time. 

Today, there are still scenes from the play on YouTube in which young Ethiopian actors play the "Dambel".






Deutsche Biographie - Brecht, Bertolt

Literatur: Bertolt Brecht

Bertolt Brecht Biography

Why is Bertolt Brecht still important?

Mother Courage and her children 
Tsegaye Gebremedhin
Manyazewal's Mother Courage
Manyazewal Endeshaw
The Caucasian chalk circle
Dr. Laura Olivi
Brecht at Addis Ababa University
Brecht's works in the Onleihe
Brecht's works in our library