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Politics is in the
air. Everywhere you look, anywhere you turn, you’re more likely to
catch Nigerians talking about the electoral process – voter
registration, INEC, or the political parties and the various aspirants.
The political temperature is so high that is it near boiling point
already; it has even managed to kick our shared passion for football,
the one strong bond we all share, into the background. There’s no doubt
about it: this time around, Nigerians want to vote and, quite
determinedly, they are battle ready to see their votes count in April.

But politics and
politicians have hardly made us happy, not for once in recent times.
Anyone looking for laughter would be better off going to watch any of
the growing army of local comedians perform. To add to our misery, the
newspapers, magazines, radio, and television are choked full of news
about crises of democracy. “People have stopped believing in the
sincerity of politicians,” one character says in ‘Love’s Unlike
Lading’, the play specially written by Femi Osofisan for the third
Garden City Literary Festival (GCLF), held in Port Harcourt in December.

Adapting Shakespeare

Perhaps, politics
was on Femi Osofisan’s mind while he was adapting Shakespeare’s ‘The
Merchant of Venice’ into ‘Love’s Unlike Lading’, performed for the GCLF
by Theatre Arts students of the University of Port Harcourt under the
direction of Emmanuel Emasealu. In Osofisan’s comical take, 16th
century Italy became 21st century Niger Delta, drenched in the now
familiar misery of kidnapping and ransom taking.

And very early in
‘Love’s Unlike Lading’, the audience could easily tell in whose corner
the darts are being thrown. “Blame the politicians,” cries Sheri, vexed
by the never-ending kidnapping orgy in the region. “The boys (read
militant) see them every day in reckless affluence, driving the latest
cars, buying the choicest lands, erecting mansions in fabulous estates,
while [militants] go about the streets looking for jobs that are not
there.” Nothing, Sheri continues, could ever justify that “dastardly
crime, whatever the motive,” and goes on to lay the blame on the right
doorstep, “All of us are guilty for the mess our country has become.”

All of this soul
searching and fault finding is going on in the middle of long drawn
emotional drama. In the original story, Shakespeare tells of a man who
wishes to marry off his only daughter in the most unnatural way; rather
than allow events to take their own course, he stages a grand contest
for interested suitors from across the world. On arrival, the bride
chasers come face to face with three caskets (labeled Gold, Silver and
Bronze) which contain different items. Whoever chooses the one with the
lady’s image and necklace wins the bride.

Bride chasers

And it is along
this particular storyline that Osofisan delivers his funny but thought
provoking lines. First in the door is Tamuno, a valiant Ijaw prince who
brags on and on about his physical and manly attributes. Tosan would be
better off marrying a man of his pedigree, he argues, and not a
weakling or a moron. He fails the test. Next comes an extroverted
Yoruba man of affluence; he dazzles and impresses the pretty lady with
the allure of his singing voice. In the end, he picks the wrong casket
and goes away cursing and kicking furiously. The prize goes to the most
unlikely of persons – Bashiru, a man of little weight in society but
who nonetheless is quite brilliant.

In another
household, two lovers who have found and fallen in love with each other
would not be allowed to tie the knot, just because both their wealthy
fathers are sworn enemies. “With Love’s Unlike Lading, Osofisan
cautions against the adoption of atavistic cultural practices that
repudiate the rights of women, while also condemning vengeance and
disunity,” the festival brochure states.

“In a parallel
vein, Osofisan calls for the enthronement of purposeful leadership and
the pursuit of patriotic and noble acts in the overall interest of
uniting people.” Tosan speaks for millions of Nigerians when she says:
“Sometimes I am so scared of what this country has become and what it
will be tomorrow.” In under two hours, Osofisan manages to squeeze into
the adaptation much of what is amiss in contemporary Nigeria.

‘Love’s Unlike Lading’ is a play of big egos and misplaced pride;
of a rascally society and self centred business people and policy
makers; of high expectations and dashed hopes; of corrupt enrichment
and a tradition in danger of dying. But as any frequent theatre-goer
would already know, this is not the first play to highlight the
persistent problems in our country; but will it be the first to cause
true change? That may very well happen if the political elite will just
listen for once.