PLAY READING PARTY DEBUTS WITH ONUKABA’s ‘THE KILLING SWAMP’

A new initiative; a monthly Play Reading Party from the stable of Arojah Royal Theatre, an Abuja based performing troupe, in collaboration with the NANTAP Abuja Chapter, aimed at promoting live theatre as well as contributing to the reading culture will debut in Abuja on Wednesday 29^th of September.

Arojah Royal Theatre (ART) is a professional theatre outfit which grew out of a deep and genuine concern to employ the fullness of the arts as a social force. One of the aims and objectives of this group is to use its medium, in alliance with organizations committed to a better society, to forge a better tomorrow. This is its first major outing as a troupe.

According to Jerry Adesewo whose Arojah Royal Theatre initiated this new idea, “Abuja is yet to experience the full force of sustainable live theatre, save for some once-in-a-life time commissioned productions. This is because of the lack of sponsorship support for the theatre. Therefore, the idea of a Play Reading Party however is to bridge this gap. While we work towards a more sustainable, monthly theatre performance, we want to engage with some of our best plays and use them as a basis for public discuss.”

This maiden edition will feature Dr. Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba’s The Killing Swamp, an imaginative dramatization of the final hours of Kenule Saro Wiwa, the Nigerian Writer and rights activist, who was hanged on November 10, 1995 with eight others for the alleged murder of four pro-government chiefs. The Killing of Ken Saro Wiwa and the other Ogoni eight was condemned worldwide as a criminal act of state murder aimed at silencing protests against the environmentally hostile policies of successive Nigerian Governments. The play provides fresh insight into the Niger Delta crisis through the fictional re-enactment of the controversial life one of its iconic figures.

Jerry Adesewo, who was only recently appointed as Secretary of the Abuja chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners added that the reading which is expected to be chaired by the Secretary of FCT Social Development Secretariat, Mrs. Blessing Onu and Dr. Baclays Ayakoroma of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation as the Special Guest of Honour, will have the duo of Mallam Denja Abdullahi and Dr. (Mrs.) Anthonia Ekpa as discussants to lead interactions on the theatrics and messages, especially the social relevance of the play, after the reading. “Most importantly, this reading will serve as a preamble to the planned staging of this play on November 10 in commemoration of the 15 years anniversary of the killing of Ken Saro Wiwa” he said.

The statement also added that the choice of Adinoyi Ojo’s new play to kick start the new initiative is intended to honour the playwright, as well as highlight the play which was shortlisted for this year’s $50,000 NLNG Prize for literature which is this year looking at drama. The winner will be announced on October 10, 2010 in Lagos.

Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba studied Theatre Arts at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and Journalism and Performance Studies at the New York University, New York, USA. Dr. Onukaba has worked as a journalist with The Guardian Newspapers in Nigeria, the United Nations in Somalia, and as a Professor of Communications at the College of Rochelle in New York before he returned to Nigeria in May 1999 and later became the Managing Director of The Daily Times of Nigeria PLC. Some of his other plays include A Resting Place; Her Majesty’s Visit; The Virginity Fee; Tower of Babel and The New God.

The Second edition of the Play Reading Party (PRP 2) will feature the late Esiaba Irobi’s Gold, Frankincense and Myrhh in the last week of October while Ben Tomoloju’s We Only Went In Search of Happiness is billed for the November edition.