Yinka Olatunbosun
The Nigerian-American playwright and producer, Cash Onadele, also known as Aiye-Ko-Ooto, has teased another stage production slated for July titled The Noble Warrior (Eni Ogun) in honour of the Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, who turns 91 on July 13. The production, which is scheduled to run from July 11 to 13 at Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, promises two shows daily — a 3 p.m. matinee and a 6 p.m. champagne show.
A suspense-filled Black musical theatre, the play is an offering of total spectacle, combining music, dance, and drama to celebrate Soyinka’s legacy, with an innovative set design and immersive audience experience that promises to captivate audiences.
Building on the success of last year’s edition, which marked Soyinka’s 90th birthday, Producer Cash Onadele promises heightened audience engagement, with souvenir books and branded merchandise planned for this year’s production.
“We have 45 members of cast and crew will be five,” Onadele revealed during a press briefing in Lagos. “Sixty percent of those who were in the play would be there. Segun Adefila, the artist director will be retained and he is willing to experiment with both old and new actors. We want the experience to be intense and the songs vibrate with the audience.”
The team also plans to stage campus versions at University of Lagos and University of Ibadan, and others with subsidised tickets. The long-term goal is to make the production annual, with other works like Moriti Ometa and Ajogi (The Foreigner), for a broader literary fiesta.
“UNILAG has great seating capacity and we are going to have serious discounts for students with ID cards,” he added. “We are interested in youth development, integration and we think that’s a way of giving back and we think it would be a great thing to do that. I see this production as an opportunity to continue the legacy of Prof. Wole Soyinka and we want to continue to integrate what we have learnt from him and his experiences and we want to expand it.”
“This is more than a tribute. It is a celebration of legacy and a push toward the future of Nigerian theatre.”
The producer is eyeing other body of works from Soyinka such as Orita Meta and Ajoji for future projects. “As at 2018, Soyinka had recorded 68 literary works. Some are still unpublished and some are in the universities where he taught. There were so many things he did and we didn’t just want to repeat stories of the past.”
Onadele’s diverse body of work spans multiple creative genres. As a playwright, he wrote and produced The Noble Warrior, staged in Abeokuta and Lagos. His other notable works include the 2019 four-part ethnographic fiction drama ‘Blood of Freedom.’ Onadele’s extensive bibliography boasts over 55 stories for children, youth, and adults, as well as screenplays, novels, novellas, and short stories. He began his writing career as a poet, famously cataloging 52 anthologies under the ‘Odo-Alamo Series.’ This prolific writer, philosopher, and playwright is known for his cultural awareness and creative depth. Now 62, Onadele splits his time between Lagos and Texas.
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