Mustapha Matura Biography

Trinidadian dramatist, born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, where he was educated at Belmont Boys Roman Catholic Intermediate School. After working in various capacities, he emigrated to Britain in 1961 and became a full-time writer in 1968. He co-founded the Black Theatre Co-operative with Charles Hanson in 1978. Internationally regarded as pre-eminent among contemporary West Indian dramatists, his principal published plays are As Time Goes By (1972), Play Mas (1974), Nice Rum and Cola and Welcome Home Jacko (1980), and Independence and Meetings (1982), which were collected as Six Plays in 1992. His work displays a fundamental concern with the psychological and political effects on the individual produced by the decay of the indigenous cultures of the Caribbean. The satirical tenor of much of his writing gains impact from the wry humour and quirky individuality which are recurrent features of his characterizations. Among his other plays are The Playboy of the West Indies (1984), Trinidad Sisters (1988), and The Coup (1991).