Laughter. Tears. It was a frenzy of emotions as people gathered at Adegbemile Cultural Centre in Akure to witness theatre in its raw, most captivating form.
Organized by Frikanah Theatre Company, the event, titled NAIJA SAGA THE PLAY, told a riveting tale of the country’s woes and hopes.
The two-day affair took place on the 8th and 9th of October, 2022, with each occasion starting in the early hours of the evening.
Collective echoes of delight pervaded the red carpet scenes after the events, as impressed members of the audience were quite willing to praise what many agreed was a passionate performance.
Beyond the pomp and dazzling displays, Frikanah Theatre Company was passing across a serious message to Nigerians. The event’s piece de resistance, a play written by Louis Adekola and directed by Akinyemi Adewunmi, was as critical as it was hilarious. The satiric rendition moved at a breakneck pace, touching on vital social and national issues such as tribalism, lack of inclusion, gender profiling, economic recession, and political unrest.
Sharing his motivations with a journalist, Adekola described the play as his way of waking people up to the possible solutions, instead of just the numerous problems that Nigeria faced.
“As a group of talented Nigerian youths, we are simply trying to be a driver of optimism and critical forward-thinking, using theatre as an avenue. Everybody has an idea of what is going on, and most people are simply complaining about it,” he said.
“This is simply our own way to stop the blame game and take action to drive open-mindedness and less finger-pointing.”
The sombre theme of the script did nothing to dampen the comical nature of the performances. Alternating between a myriad of emotions, the audience was continuously driven from a state of serious retrospection to uncontrolled fits of laughter. All these made possible by the skillful execution of the actors, who did more than earn their flowers on the day.
NAIJA SAGA THE PLAY featured a dazzling display of cultural songs and dances — representing four of the major Nigerian tribes. The dancers were decked in rich traditional costumes, which they did justice to with their energetic renditions of original tribal dances.
Honourable Wale Akinlosotu, the Honourable Commissioner of Culture and Tourism in Ondo State, was a most notable attendee of the event. He echoed the general sentiment when he said the production was filled with “contagious passion… and had no dull moment.”
He also expressed his views on the play’s significance to Nigeria’s cultural and social landscape.
“It depicts exactly what is happening today in Nigeria. There’s so much seperation in the country. If we can work together as one nation, Nigeria will be a great nation… And that’s what the play is all about, identifying the decays in Nigeria, and proffering a solution…” he said.
Frikanah Theatre Company started its journey in 2015 at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko. Following national performances and collaborations with organisations such as the BBC, Nike Art Gallery, and the University of Sussex, UK. It has emerged as one of the best groups of thespians to spring out of Ondo state and Nigeria in general. With impactful productions such as NAIJA SAGA: THE PLAY, which is only its second edition, the company is fast solidifying its status as one of the country’s significant theatre groups.
This report was written by Oreoluwa Nathaniel.