For Easter
As part of its tradition to stage a high quality production during the Easter break, the National Troupe of Nigeria staged a music folk theatre production titled ‘Spectacle’. The four-part production was staged last Sunday at the Cinema Hall 2 of the National Theatre.
The Artistic Director, Mr. Akin Adejuwon explained that the thematic thrust of the musical theatre excursion is national unity. But he explained that the conceptual framework does not lie in the exposition of lyrics paying lip service to the unity of the people but in the unification of dissimilar artistic backgrounds and materials into harmonious art form within real-time creative space.
“The two fold concept of the creative unity lies in the fusion of the different artistic elements in performance- the unity of the elements of the African performative stage on one hand and on the other hand, the wholesome representation of our diverse cultural heritage on the national stage through the use of music, songs, dance, narratives, masks and chants”, he noted. The admission for the command performance was at no cost to theatergoers.
Spectacle is a musical folk-theatre in four parts. The thematic thrust is national unity. However, the conceptual framework does not lie in the exposition of lyrics paying lip service to the unity of the people but in the unification of dissimilar artistic backgrounds and materials into harmonious art form within real-time creative space. The two fold concept of the creative unity lies in the fusion of the different artistic elements in performance- the unity of the elements of the African performative stage on one hand and on the other hand, the wholesome representation of our diverse cultural heritage on the national stage through the use of music, songs, dance, narratives, masks, chants etc.
The part one involved various Nigerian folksongs while the part two revolved around the subject, 'Ifenkilii' (spectacle), a 'feast of renewal' which explores the cyclical link between the unborn (pregnant masquerade), the living and the dead (masked ancestors). It pulsated integration of the Nigerian cultural diversity in performance. An attempt was made at presenting some of the varying ethnic songs, music and dances within the same performance space. The introduction of masks also added to the metaaesthetic essence of the folk theatre piece.'Ifenkili' is an intercultural fusion aimed at promoting national integration and Unity.
Part three was made up of contemporary music consisting of solo performances, duets, group performances, musical parody, traditional music ensemble and more and the finally, part four, featured, 'Ajodun' (celebration) an excerpt from 'Ajoyo', a total African performance that celebrates the aesthetic linkages of the diverse art forms or dance, music and drama within the performance space. The production ends with the 'Terra Firma - Nigeria' song.