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By Toyin Akinosho
Stage plays in Lagos Nigeria have traditionally been a mostly-holiday season event.
An average of 15 plays were performed last Christmas-New Year Season all over the city.
A fewer number came through during the Easter period.
The long week end of the last Eid El Mubarak holidays was eerily quiet.
Stage productions happen perfunctorily ‘off season’
But that hardly discounts the fact that there are production companies who perform round the year.
The 27 year old Crown Troupe of Africa is one
And there are venues available for drama, on and off season.
The TerraKulture on Victoria Island is one. The Glover Hall on Lagos Island is another. So are Muson Centre and Freedom Park (also on Lagos Island). That count makes clear that Lagos Island is the “West end” of Africa’s most vibrant city.
Crown Troupe has chosen to perform a number of plays outside of the big holiday seasons, at the Glover Hall
“To commemorate our twenty seventh (27th) anniversary, we have been fortunate enough to secure a collaboration with that historical venue- Glover Memorial Hall under the capable management of LUFODO PRODUCTIONS”, says Crown Troupe’s founder and arrowhead, Segun Adefila.
“The historic partnership has birthed a mini theatre season, tagged: GLOVER THEATRE SERIES. This pilot edition shall run for three months from June; the month of our anniversary, to the first week of August, culminating in our annual theatre feast, Eko Theatre Carnival.
The Glover Theatre Series shall kick off in June with ‘GOLDEN FLEAS ‘ written by Segun Adefila. This is to be followed in July, by Wole Soyinka’s uproariously funny, deeply cynical ‘THE ROAD‘. To round off the Season in August shall be Ayodele Arigbabu’s MOREMI (Revised Standard Version) as Inspired by Sewedo Nupowaku.
SYNOPSIS OF THE PLAYS, DATES, GATE AND TIME.
GOLDEN FLEAS, by Segun Adefila, attempts to explore the growing trend of emigration by Nigeria youths.
An outcome of NEW WRITING, a British Council facilitated playwriting workshop organized by the Royal Court Theatre, London GOLDEN FLEAS tells the story of a group of intending migrants who decide to go in search of ‘greener pastures’ hiding and dodging as they journey on to an unknown but hopeful destination. They each have a past that needs to be left behind. A past that touches on socioeconomic and political issues. As the play progresses, each share their stories in ‘ a play within a play’ fashion.
Their stories take the audience to strange and familiar terrains through music, poetry, dance and drama.
Date: Sunday June 4, 2023
Time: 3pm, 6pm
THE ROAD, written by Wole Soyinka- Soyinka’s THE ROAD, which opens in an “AKSIDENT STORE”, is a take on society’s losers. It focuses on a typical day in the life of a group of motor park touts in a standard ramshackle garage that could be on any roadside in any of Nigeria’s big cities. Surviving hand to mouth, waiting endlessly for fleeting jobs and capable of violence at terribly short notice, this particular group is dominated by the professor, a character that runs a shady, vehicle spare parts sale business. The conversation by this group of low lifes provides searching insight into the rickety Nigerian political structure and why it underserves the vast masses of the people.
Dates: Saturday & Sunday July 8& 9, 2023
Time: 3pm, 6pm
MOREMI (The Revised Standard Version)written by Ayodele Arigbabu-is a modern / contemporary stage adaptation of the popular Yoruba legend developed by Evolution Media as inspired by Sewedo Nupowaku and scripted by Ayodele Arigbabu in 2003. The play takes many liberties with the original legend, the key one being that it addresses the crisis which sees Moremi offer her child as a sacrifice to save her people, from that child’s perspective.
Based on the legend of Moremi (The Yoruba Queen who through bravery and personal sacrifice liberates her people from external oppression), and drawing exciting inferences from the theme, adapting the tale to contemporary sensibilities, designed for family entertainment but with particular regard for youthful fantasies and energies, Ayodele Arigbabu’s stage adaptation makes a parody out of the original legend, taking liberties with characterization and plot interpretation. A near musical thriller / comedy is enacted in line with the original operatic interpretation done by the late theatre legend- Duro Ladipo. However, succinct communication is maintained on issues of responsibility, and choice, albeit in an irreverent fashion.
DATE: Saturday and Sunday, August 5&6.
Time: 3pm, 6pm
GATE: #3000.
