Kakadu, a symbolic stage play in form of dance-drama hit the stage last weekend in Lagos to remind Nigerians about the many issues that still hinder the cohesion of the society. Written by Uche Nwokedi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the dance-drama dug deeper into the fabrics of the nation, writes Edozie Udeze
Kakadu is not just a symbol of Nigeria as a fragmented society, it is also the metaphor of a nation ever grappling with ethnic, religious and political issues that may tear it apart or help to cement the people together one day as a cohesive and indivisible nation-state. These many conflicting issues that tend to make a society what it is, came into play as the dance-drama, Kakadu, hit the stage last weekend in Lagos.
Written by Uche Nwokedi, a legal luminary, the play took its background from the events of 1959 that led to the Independence of Nigeria in1960. There was a hotel called Kakadu. It was a rallying point for many people. Lagos was indeed synonymous with the name Kakadu. There, life was spent to its fullest, people were happy to come to the city to be duly identified with Lagos, a place where opportunities abound but equally a place where one could easily be confused by the fast-tempo of life. The temptation to rummage fully in social life in Lagos and forget your people and why you are in the place often becomes more-overriding to most people.
And so this was what happened to five friends who came from different states and different backgrounds. The social life in Lagos had entered into their lives, yet they bonded together without bothering whether they were Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Efik or Bini. Life was good; friendship was well-appreciated and valued. Each individual prospered on his job, only bearing in mind that Lagos can make or mar one’s progress.
To some, it is simply Love All Girls on Saturdays while to the more careful ones, it was tagged Look And Go On Slowly. In each case, Lagos has one striking message for you; not everyone in the city is genuine and therefore you have to know your bearing well. And while all sorts of social life style went on in the 1950s and well into the sixties, people tended to forget that the social and political and economic fabrics holding the people together were drifting; there was discontent everywhere.
Leaders were in the deep throes of apathy and looting so that anger and disaffection was holding deeply within the army. As soon as the nation had its Republic in 1963, the soldiers struck. They struck so heavily that the centre could not hold and everywhere people became suspicious of one another. This was the beginning of deeper ethnic acrimony within the Nigerian nation state. Then the civil war began during which the Igbos were hunted down in parts of Nigeria.
At every stage of the problems the play introduces dance and songs and music to intersperse the message. This is why Kakadu is seen as a total theatre. The writer and producer, Uche Nwokedi describes it as a hit musical. Hit in the sense that it does not only espouse problems of a society built around segregation and tribal sentiments, it is a society that can become stronger if the so-called negative elements can be properly harnessed for its greatness, economic attainment and all.
When the musicals came cutting across age and class, they hit you like a thunderbolt, tearing your senses apart to remind you of the era of Eldorado in the society. There are equally very sorrowful and sober ones that remind you of those moments when the people were under the yoke and influence of crisis. The civil war had just ended and the crying voices of people were infused with regrets and joys and happiness. It was one moment when people remembered the war and the events that led to it.
Amputated soldiers returned home to rousing welcome, with some in clutches, limping to the joys of their people. Others could not make it and those moments of mourning continued unabated. In the midst of it all was the issue of marriage; how could a Yoruba girl marry an Igbo boy who had just been discharged from the army? This became a worrisome development but the youngsters in love stood their grounds. They tended to prefer love to ethnic jingoism or the narrow interests of their elders.
If a matter as little as allowing young people to marry according to their hearts can still be an issue in Nigeria, then the nation has a long way to go indeed. The lesson therein is very instructive. The people involved still showed vehemently, that Nigeria has not got it right.
This is a situation that obtains mostly where people are in the habit of not allowing civilization to seep into their inner systems. However, for how long can this be allowed to go on? How soon can Nigeria overcome narrow matters of this sort in order to grow? In an interview, Nwokedi explained that whether “we like it or not, Nigeria is driven by ethnic, religious and political sentiments. Of all these, ethnicity plays the greatest role. But we can bridge these to come together to build a better and stronger society,” he said.
“Yes, Kakadu has been used as a metaphor, partly because it was a centre for all sorts in those days. It was like a Night club located within the city in the 1960s. A lot of people from different parts of the country converged there to have fun and a fill of the city. So, in effect the manager of the club represented the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914. This was in the person of Lord Lugard.”
The emotional aspects of the story were brought into it in order to represent in totality who we are. “Of course, they showed who we are,” Nwokedi intoned with a smile. “Whether we want to admit it or not, every part of that story is what we are. This is why we’ve received very good reactions. Some bring their children here to watch and see the history of Nigeria as represented in Kakadu. It is the story of life, truly told in a theatre form.”
Nwokedi noted that people do not quarrel with the facts presented in the show. “It is the way that it is presented that people frown at. It is a harsh reality of the nation. But we presented it in such a way that everybody takes in the message in a gulp. The story is relevant now because it is still who we are. Nothing much has changed. When I say this, I must always qualify it. Nigeria is driven by ethnic rivalry. So, you can’t run away from that. So, we need to build our country, regardless of our ethnic differences or who we are. And everybody needs to be involved; people in power, those on the streets, we all have to join hands to build this country. So, Nigeria is the Kakadu of today,” he said.
With over thirty casts and crew, Kakadu is the image of Nigeria that can never be erased. Some of the casts included Ben Ogbeiwi, Joseph Okoro, Damilare Kuku, David Ogbor. Others were Kanayo Omo, Austine Onuoha, Chiquita Ezenwa, Prisca Enyi, Luka Emmanuel and more. The play has won many awards in the past and hopes to win more in the future.