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Changes in the Nigerian Theatre with Special Attention to Four Post - Soyinkan Playwrights ir- CHANGES IN THE NIGERIAN THEATRE WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO FOUR POST - SOYINKAN PLAYWRIGHTS A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of London By Ahmed Parker Yerimah Department of Drama & Theatre Studies Royal Holloway College. ProQuest Number: 10097578 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest. ProQuest 10097578 Published by ProQuest LLC(2016). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 — 2 - ABSTRACT The thesis examines the main conventions governing traditional Nigerian entertainment and the development of these conventions under influences from Western drama. Wole Soyinka*s development of these conventions is con­ sidered along with his influence on present day play­ wrights. The main section of the thesis is concerned with the further evolution of Nigerian theatrical con- ventions by four playwrights; Zulu Sofola, Wale Ogunyemi, Femi Osofisan and Bode Sowande. The discussion is presented in ghree parts. In the first chapter, there is a recapitulation and evalua- tion of the conventions which emerged from traditional Nigerian entertainment by the late 16th and early 19th centuries. The second section consists of two chapters: the first is concerned with the period when there was strong western influence on modern Nigerian drama through the University College at Ibadan, the chapter on Wole Soyinka that follows is concerned with the further evolu­ tion of theatrical convention in his drama, the third and major section of the thesis examines the present day development of Nigerian theatrical convention through an analysis of the te cliniques of the four playwrights; Zulu Sofola, Wale Ogunyemi, Femi Osofisan and Bode Sowande. The material in the thesis includes accounts of interviews with Soyinka, and the four playwrights. It is hoped that this material which has not previously been collected will prove valuable to students of modern Nigerian drama. The aim of the thesis is to provide knoledge, analyse conventions and techniques and stimulate interest in Nigerian drama, particularly, that developed after Soyinka*s successes in the sixties. k - DEDICATION For Musa, Sadetu, lyabo, Adisa and Abdul-Gafar. - 5 - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My sincere regards and thanks go to Professor Katharine Worth, for her help and initial decision to give me a place at the Royal Holloway College. I must thank Dr. Gerard Moran for his endless care for my work, his interest and encouragement has been most rewarding. And finally, my thanks go to lyabo my wife, who read through the thesis. — 6 — TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT 2 DEDICATION " ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ^ INTRODUCTION ® 1, The changing forms of Conventions of the Nigerian Theatrical Enter- 22 tainments Folk entertainment ......... 23 Ritual entertainment ....... 26 Administration plays ........ 62 Rise of the Yoruba Professional theare... 63 University College, Ibadan ........ 76 Players of the Dawn ................... 79 University Travelling Theatre ..... ol Ogunmola Palm Wine Drinkard .... 91 2, Wole Soyinka and the Development of 100 Nigerian Drama Soyinka in E n g land ........... .. io4 Traditional influence ............... 105 Early p l a y s .... ................ 3, Post-Soyinka Playwrights, Conventions and New Forms The Civil War and Soyinka ...... 153 The emergence of new Pqaywrights ............ 154 I4.. Zulu Sofola 176 Early background ............ 177 Concept of Social Tragedy ........... 17g Wedlock of The Gods ...... ......... 192 King E m e n e ...... ........................... igg * «m y m» Page 5. Wale Ogunyemi 239 Early Background ................. 240 Epic drama-African moderation and modification ............... 244 Ijaye W a r ................................ 245 Kiriji 269 6. Bode Sowande 287 Early Background ........... 288 Politics and the Playwright ............. 290 The Night Before ........ 291 Farewell to Babylon .......... 294 7. Femi Osofisan 332 Early Background ............... 333 Use of Myths in modern Nigerian drama ... 33? Morountodun ........ 3^3 Once Upon Four Robbers .......... 333 CONCLUSION ......... 373 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................ 333 APPENDICES ................ ^3 3 INTRODUCTION Theatre is a major part of man's civilization, and this is why theatre has never ceased to develop. Every developing theatre has a tendency to explode, and it is this explosive element which has made theatre part of llfe.l Ronald Harwood's succinct description of the develop­ ment of theatre can be applied to the specific case of the development of drama in Nigeria. The main body of my thesis is an examination of one such 'explosion' within Nigerian drama; one which has led to significant changes in the country's theatrical conventions and one which has created the need for a reappraisal of Wole Soyinka's position within Nigerian drama. One must hastily add that the re-examination embarked upon in this thesis does not entail a devaluation of Soyinka's prowess as an accomplished African playwright; the intention is to see him in a context formed by the newer playwrights who have emerged in Nigeria in recent years. The main reason for embarking on this study here in England first occurred to me when I arrived in 1981 to begin my post-graduate studies at University College, Cardiff. It was with a slight sense of embarrassment that I realised that the literary scholars I met knew nothing about contemporary Nigerian playwrights of whom I myself am one. I felt that there was a need for a study such as this, if only to emphasise a continuity - 9 in the process of history and to re-awken the literary interest of Europe in African literature, particularly Nigerian drama, I became engulfed in the persistent search for a means through which I could initiate a re- introduction of critical approaches to Nigerian drama. It is therefore with a sense of relief that I am able to put my thoughts into words in this thesis. Most research and published works on Nigerian drama concentrate almost entirely upon its historical develop­ ment, In this light, there is no need for any further historical accounts in this study, but there is a need for an examination of theatrical conventions. And as the study does not centre on the social and anthropolo­ gical history of the Nigerian people, it will emphasise the theatrical elements in these conventions rather than the social elements to which they are obviously related. The main task of this study therefore, is to examine the changes in recent Nigerian dramatic conventions and the influences of Western drama and its conventions upon Nigerian drama, to examine Soyinka's contributions to Nigerian drama which emerges from a mixture of both Western and indigenous theatrical practices and finally to examine four post-Soyinka playwrights: Zulu Sofola, Vale Ogunyemi, Bode Sowande and Femi Osofisan. In the examination of these four playwrights, there will be an - 10 - attempt to show how the changes they make in their writings are consciously designed to further the process of the development of Nigerian drama. These playwrights are all aware of the great socio-political changes that have occurred in a developing third world country such as Nigeria, and they experiment with theatrical conventions in order to respond to those changes. The result inevitably is that their works diverge from early, established traditional conventions, I am hoping to show how the conventions of Nigerian theatre are used in modified forms. As there are no written records, knowledge of the traditions were handed down orally, I hope to show in particular the conventions of Nigerian theatre which originated in the 19th century. The dissertation falls into two parts; the first part will deal with the Yoruba traditional dramatic con­ ventions in so far as they can be seen coming into modern Nigerian comedy and tragedy. The Western elements which Soyinka and two later playwrights were to draw from will also be examined. All this will be examined with parti­ cular attention to the colonial administration plays in the form of propaganda sketches. The beginning of the first school of drama in Africa at University College, Ibadan will also be examined and the contributions of 11 Geoffrey Axworthy, Martin Banham and other members of staff of the University to the growth and changing conventions of Nigerian drama will be considered. The first part will include two chapters on Wole Soyinka. The first of the two chapters will examine Soyinka's rise to power as Africa's major playwright and estimate how well he has been able to use the in­ herited theatrical conventions in his plays, I shall examine Soyinka's plays, and I am going to look at Western criticism, which is on the whole highly favour­ able to Soyinka and at the new African criticism which is less so. With such contradictory points of view to work with, I find that the main problems with Soyinka's writings, despite his great contributions to Nigerian drama, have been his use of language and his inability, or wish to do something different to identify with the immediate social problems of Nigerian society. A reason for this I conclude, may be his attempt at writing plays that overlook the immediate, I hope to examine the problem of communication with the Nigerian audience which provided the opportunity for the development of Nigerian drama. The second of the two chapters will examine how the later playwrights are related to Soyinka. The chapter will also include a general study of the emergence of the 12 new playwrights. I shall be looking at the way the four playwrights have handled the inherited con­ ventions.
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