…As Soyinka’s Death and the King Horseman grips the stage 

Forty years after it made its stage debut, Professor Wole Soyinka’s play, Death and the King’s Horseman, staged a comeback at the National Theatre, Lagos, courtesy of the National Troupe of Nigeria, to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the playwright’s feat as the first African Nobel laureate.

It was the climax of a three-pronged celebration to commemorate the anniversary, the others being a concurrent art exhibition by the troupe coordinated by Olu Ajayi and an art stampede organised in conjuncction with CORA (Committee for Relevant Art).

Set in Oyo Kingdom in colonial Southwest Nigeria during the Second World War in the 1940s, the props reflected that unique vista and a tenor of discourse characterised by declamations by both parties. The play shows Soyinka’s intricate handling of the historic intercourse between European civilisation and its clanging clash with African culture.

Indeed, so much industry and ingenuity was brought to bear in this particular dramatisation. Among the props was an elevation serving as upstairs from where the colonial masters deliberated on the fate of Africans; in the background was a big screen showing constant silhouetted figures dancing in slow motion to faint classics; there was a cage where freedom of the Africans was manacled. Above all, the cast and ensemble depicted the era in their outmoded costumes.

Central to the plot is the travails of the King’s Horseman (Elesin Oba). As tradition demands, Elesin Oba must commit suicide before the Oba will be buried to enable the Elesin’s spirit precede and clear the way for the king’s spirit.

For the British, it is an ancient tradition that must no longer be tolerated: the heathen should be ridden of that uncivilised practice. Thus, Mr Pilkings, the British Colonial Administrator, moves to intervene. Meanwhile, the talking drums thump the air intermittently as the Elesin Oba talks in riddles, full of arrogant wisdom, often surrounded by groveling and sometimes bewildered harem.

The buildup to the desecration of the rites of passage begins with a brazen contempt shown to the Egungun masquerade and an attempt by a group of African policemen to invade the area –a move thwarted by resilient Oyo women, who not only taunt the minions of the law but overpower them. This scene provides a laughing bout that eases frayed nerves.

elesin-oba-sounding-off-in-death-and-the-kings-horseman

Mr. Pilkins, however, is resolute to stop the Elesin Oba’s imminent self-immolation. With superior force, he gets his bidding done as Elesin Oba is arrested at the highest point of rites of passage. It is an abomination that sets the tone for the dislocated fabric and fatalities in the Oyo Kingdom. Meanwhile, Olunde, Elesin’s first son and a medical student, has returned from England to bury his father according to tradition.

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But, if the British expect him to dance to their tune, they are wrong, for Olunde, despite his cultural straddle, is a young man steeped in culture, who abhors the contemptuous treatment of things Africa by the whites, and engages the powers-that-be in a counter argument. But he possesses little power to prevent the coming damnation.

A disappointed Olunde, on seeing his father in captivity, shrieks: “I have no father,” storming away. Even in captivity, Elesin talks tough. He is evidently crestfallen that he is unable to complete the rites of passage. Though his life has been saved by the British, life has lost its meaning to him; he wants to die.

Dirges of mourners suddenly fill the air. Women dressed in white, file onto the stage, with a group of men bearing the corpse of Olunde –of course, he has taken his own life to fill the void left by Elesin’s detention or inaction. It becomes double tragedy as Elesin also takes his own life.

“The play seeks to explore the tragic consequences associated with diminished sensibility and understanding of intercultural behaviours, communication and tolerance, especially during the British Colonial ear in Nigeria,” explains the stage director, Mike Anyanwu, in his note.

Some of those who contributed to the realisation of the play included Josephine Igberaese (Assistant Director), Hilary Elemi (Technical Director), Zmirage (Set Design/Lighting), Abifarin Bayode (Stage Manager), Winifred Akunne (Costumier), Dapo Omideyi and Emmanuel Adejumo (Music Director), Husseini Shaibu (Public Relations), among others.

On hand to witness the grand enactment were Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture; Mr. Akin Adejuwon, Artistic Director, National Troupe of Nigeria; Odia Ofeimun, renowned poet and playwright; Oba Gbenga Sonuga and Larry William, veteran actor, and a host of other dignitaries.

Earlier in his speech, the artistic director had apologised for Soyinka’s absence at the event, for he was away in the US. He commended the desire of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Mohammed, to have the play staged, and capping it with his presence at the Cinema Hall II, National Theatre, also describing him as a seasoned artist.

Speaking thereafter, the minister recalled that, thirty years ago, Nigeria was inducted into the literary hall of fame when Soyinka won the Nobel Prize in Literature. A playwright after his heart, he praised his role in drama as legendary.minister-of-information-and-culture-alhaji-lai-mohammed-presenting

Alhaji Mohammed restated the resolve of his ministry to continue supporting the quest for the development of the creative industry, pointing out that, in the Western world and parts of Africa, the creative industry had morphed into a creative economy, which wasn’t the case yet in Nigeria.

He also berated the attitude of ordinary Nigerians towards the creative industry as part of the reason why the industry has been in stagnation. For instance, he blamed the flourishing of pirated works on Nigerians, who willingly patronise the sellers. He said piracy was worse than armed robbery.