The National Theatre, Lagos, came alive when the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Theatre Group staged two performances to mark the institution’s second convocation, reports PAUL OLUWAKOYA.
Guests saw the richness of the country’s cultural heritage when the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Theatre Group staged its performances at the National Theatre, Lagos.
The NOUN Theatre Group entertained guests with Enough is Enough and a Bata dance.
The play, written by Dr Onyeka Iwuchukwu, draws attention to the plight of women in contemporary African society.
Throughout the tension-soaked performance, it was clear the audience enjoyed every bit of it, given the applause that followed each scene. A market scene, where touts extorted money from women traders at their stalls, was especially interesting. The touts carried out their mission forcibly; and so, it was no surprise the kind of exhilaration in the air when the traders revolted and protested in one-voice.
At the end of the play, the cast changed into traditional adire attires with women wearing the fashionable Oleku styles and Sisi Oge hairdos while the men had their caps on to complement the adire attire. Clad in their traditional outfits, they got on the stage for the second performance, entitled: The Music and Dance of Bata. Accompanied by bata drumming, the dancers danced with well-measured steps to the stage and were received by a resounding applause.
As the drummers beat away in a maddening frenzy, the dancers danced with dexterity. The dance patterns varied in response to the lead bata drummer. The dance showcased the rich cultural heritage of the Yourba people. And as the troupe danced, they took guests into that cultural richness which celebrates life and work hard.
As in ancient times, the dancers invoked an ancestral spirit to give vent to their mesmerising and eccentric displays.
According to Iwuchukwu, the lead dancer, the bata dance has become a global phenomenon embedded in evocative and deep percussive recourse to a rich culture and heritage.
She said: “The dance was used essentially to demonstrate Yoruba’s rich cultural traditions and it has come to stay. The dance performance is the highpoint of the event.”
Although from the eastern part of the country, Nwachukwu said, as a stage performer, she is completely sold to the culture – hers or the Yoruba’s. She added that the theatre is her life. She said: “If I fail to dance, my legs will not forgive me. If I also fail to sing, my voice will always weep for me. And if I fail to stand on stage to deliver my lines in drama, what else will I do?”
She said it was not an easy task putting the productions together, saying it took the dedication of every member of the troupe, who is mainly staff and pupils.
Like Nwachukwu, a few of the cast also shared their experiences. For Christiana Uzoukwu, whose stage name is ‘Betty’, she now appreciates the maxim: ‘dignity of labour’ through the rehearsals of the bata performance. Uzoukwu, a business woman and mother studying law at the NOUN, said: “It has made me appreciate hard work the more and urged the need for one always be ready to stand for rights at anytime. This has also helped me to focus more on my studies, business and family.
On her part, Onyebuchi Vivian Nkiru, a dancer, said the attires brought back memories. She said: “It reminded me of a first-time experience as a stage dancer. This stage experience is one of my best so far. The dance was one of fast tempo and a challenge which I enjoyed and overcame because of my passion for the dance.”
For Obatosin Tolulope Folusho, who acted the ‘real policeman’ in the drama, said it was excitement all the way. “I am filled with excitement to have played such roles; they are actually my second experience on stage. And I am motivated to keep on moving. Although I won’t say I was a very good dancer during the bata dance, the experience was cool. I still preferred and enjoyed my role as an actor,” he said.
