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To many Nigerians
and others across the world, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka is a mentor
and role model from whom they draw inspiration. Disciples and admirers
of the man also referred to as Kongi always seize every opportunity to
celebrate him though he rarely attends such events. The occasion of his
76th birthday on Tuesday, July 13, gave people an opportunity to
express their love for the poet, novelist, dramatist and pro-democracy
activist at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

It was an event
where veteran stage and film actors dressed as characters in Soyinka’s
plays walked the red carpet in honour of the defender of justice. The
parade preceded the premiere of ‘Preemptive’, written by Niyi Coker and
directed by Segun Ojewuyi as part of an international cultural exchange
programme and world tour. The play had earlier been staged in Barbados
and the UK.

Colourful parade

Though 76 artists
were hyped to feature, fewer than that number appeared on the red
carpet. Those that did, however, gave a good account of themselves with
lines from the plays. Actor and musician who has recently dabbled into
art, Jimi Solanke, appeared as Chief Erinjobi in ‘Camwood on the
Leaves’. Albert Akaeze, who played the blind beggar in ‘Swamp Dwellers’
in a National Theatre/National Troupe of Nigeria production of the play
last year filled the same role on Tuesday.

Actors Muyiwa
Odukale, Tunde Adeyemo, Taiwo Obileye and Olu Okekanye appeared as
characters from ‘Madmen and Specialists’. Academic and director, Tunde
Awosanmi, was Gudrum, the Scandinavian journalist in ‘A Play of Giants’
while Tunji Olugbodi was Field Marshal Kamini in the same play. Jane
Bryce, attired in a simple Ankara skirt and blouse was Segilola in
‘Kongi’s Harvest’ while filmmaker Tunde Kelani, holding an antique
camera, appeared as Photographer in the same play. Poet Uzor Maxim
Uzoatu was the frightful Forest Head in ‘Forest of a Thousand Demons.’

The first, second
and third prize winners of the essay competition held as part of
Project Preemptive, Gbenga Adeniji, Lawrence Wakdet and Emmanuel Ugokwe
also had their minutes under the klieglights, as did the cast of
‘Preemptive’. The crowd, comprising school children and adults had
their first glimpse of Rachel Hastings, Christopher Collins, Tania
Coambs, Bashal Evans, Racquel McKenzie, Kit Ryan and Cortez Johnson on
the red carpet before seeing them in the play.

Organisers of the
project, Z-mirage Multimedia Ltd, whose chief executive, Teju Kareem,
directed affairs from the background, saved the best for the last with
Soyinka’s ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’. Toyin Osinaike, who played
Ireke in Femi Osofisan’s English adaptation of D.O Fagunwa’s ‘Ireke
Onibudo’, titled ‘Adventures of the Sugarcane Man’ came on the red
carpet as Olunde. Wale Adeduro and Bisi Marinho were Mr and Mrs
Pilkings while Kelvin Ushi was Joseph. Editor, Guardian on Sunday,
Jahman Anikulapo, appeared as Sergeant Amusa and amused the crowd with
his twists and turns. He later engaged in a quarrel with Iyaloja
(Gloria Rhodes Nash). The icing on the cake was the trio of Kola Oyewo
(Elesin); Peter Badejo (Olohun Iyo) and Ojetunji Ojeyemi whose
scintillating bata dance steps elicited applause from the audience.

Loaded play

A networking
session at the foyer by guests including Dejumo Lewis, dressed regally
as an Oba like he used to be in ‘Village Headmaster’ and a real king,
the Fadesewa of Simawa, Oba Gbenga Sonuga, poet Odia Ofeimun, singer
Ara, Segun Sofowote and others preceded the staging of ‘Preemptive’.

As promised, the
play, written and directed by the two US-based theatre artists, infused
technology sensibly to add razzmatazz to a poignant story. The
beautiful and lush set by Bobbie Bonebrake was another plus to the
multi-thematic play set in New York and Zanzibar, East Africa.

Amongst other
issues, the loaded play which opens with a call to prayers by the
muezzin examines inter-racial relationships as seen in the life of the
African Ahmed (Cortez Johnson) and American, Vivian (Tania Coambs),
both trained psychologists in love and who are cohabiting. While the
duo sees nothing wrong in the set up, Uncle Ted (Christopher Collins)
feels differently. His typical Western mind can’t fathom a Black man
dating a white lady; talk less of an educated Black man.

He goes as far as
smelling the bed sheet to ascertain if Ahmed and Vivian have been
“shagging”. He is aghast when Ahmed tells him they are lovers and
rewards him with some blows. Ted also doesn’t believe that Ahmed knows
anything about computers. “Brother from East Africa, where did you
learn about computers?” he asks while interrogating Ahmed unlawfully.

Religion and corruption

Religious
intolerance, the cause of wars and crises across the globe, gets a
mention in ‘Preemptive’, with Uncle Ted’s equation of Islam with
terrorism. He describes praying in the Islamic way as a ‘terrorist act’
and contends that “praying in that Arabic shit makes people
uncomfortable.” Ted, displaying symptoms of a paranoid American wonders
why Ahmed didn’t return to Tanzania after his studies; why he is dating
an American; and why terrorists who are Muslims and who are promised
virgins in paradise, would hide explosives in their underpants. He is
further displeased that African Muslims have taken over the taxi
business at the airport, making getting cabs at the airport difficult
on Fridays.

Official
corruption, which the West makes noise about in Africa, is also present
in the US as what brings Ted, a retired police officer, to Vivian’s
apartment is to make her change her report on a case of police
brutality. Ted wants the police officer to change the report which
indicts some officers and which will likely affect the re-election bid
of the Mayor but Vivian will have none of it. When she asks him if he
wants her to lie, Ted replies glibly that it’s just “re-arranging the
facts.”

Expensive place

The breaking of
familial bonds occasioned by long sojourns abroad is also examined in
the play originally conceived in the summer of 2008 at a Black Writers
Lab at Indiana University, Bloomington. Twelve years away from home
destroys the bond between Ahmed and Aishatu (Racquel McKenzie), his
lover back in Zanzibar and Mama (Bashal Evans), his mother. The
alienating tendencies of technology, especially the cell phone which
Ahmed sends to Mama to enable them communicate better, is also
highlighted. Mama admits this when she says, “It’s supposed to keep us
together, why do I feel it’s taking him away from me?”

America, like a
number of migrants have realised, can be a lonely and expensive place
to live, like Ahmed tells his mother in one of his letters. The streets
are not paved with gold as some are made to believe and Ahmed
reiterates this in his first letter. “America is a very expensive
place; you have to pay for everything.” And all sojourns to America,
like Ahmed sadly finds out, don’t always end in joy.

Much has been said
of the warped justice system in the US and its bias against foreigners.
Sadly, things have become worse following the terrorist attacks of 2001
and subsequent attempts. Americans’ heightened sense of fear for
anything Islam or African following Abdul Mutallab’s December 2009
bombing attempt is highlighted in the play. Most importantly, the play
asks the question when is it right to engage in a preemptive strike
against a perceived threat which might not be there at the end of the
day?

What the audience have in ‘Preemptive’ is a great, haunting story
brought to life by skilled performers who used every part of their
body; expression, voice and gesture in the telling. Cortez, Collins and
Coambs, who have the major roles, are outstanding. But the others are
no pushovers either.