New offerings pepper Nigeria’s cultural landscape
* Osundare’s ‘Green’, Husseini’s ‘Ikenna’, Sanusi’s ‘Ovonramwen Nogbaisi’, Thompson’s Uyo Theatre and Film Festival
CULTURE consumers are in for a great time this weekend and beyond with new offerings coming out across the country. First was a kind mail sent in from the University of New Orleans, U.S., where Nigeria’s Distinguished Professor of Global Literature, Niyi Osundare, announcing his new poetry offering and asking that it be shared and publicised. ”Anote, Greetings. Hope you and your family are fine. Just received the book news below from my publisher, and thought you would consider it worth sharing. Stay well. And strong. All best, Niyi,” the poet of marketplace sensibility had written. His new poetry collection is titled ‘Green: Sighs of Our Oiling Planet’. Of course, this collection follows his last one, ‘City Without People: The Catherina Poems’, published in 2011, that details the harrowing trauma he and his family went through during Hurricane Cathrina. Osundare’s new collection is scheduled to be out in January 2022.
In Lagos, Dr. Shaibu Husseini is directing a Christian play scheduled for Sunday, December 12, 2021 at MUSON Centre titled ‘Ikenna.’ It’s the story of a prodigal returning home to the father after being heady and lost. It’s to be performed by the drama ministry of Christ Chapel International Churches, Patmos Playhouse. ‘Ikenna’ is written by Mike Biose, with assistant direction from Okwe Ogah and Sam Azubuike. Christ Chapel is superintendents by its Founders, Senior Pastor Rev (Dr.) and Rev (Mrs.) Tunde and Ebun Joda. Lead characters in ‘Ikenna’ include Tolu Ogundeji, as Old man, Biodun Mabadeji as Ikenna and Emmanuel Ogundipe as Amarachi (Ikenna’s mother) all veterans of the playhouse. Others are Fidelis Mbogbore as Uzeugo, Ikenna’ Father), Gloria Oloyede as Amina (Ikenna’s wife).
Tomorrow, Thursday, December 9, 2021, at Terra Kulture’s Theatre Arena, Lagos, Lookman Sanusi of Bubbles online radio will direct his play, ‘Ovonramwen Nogbaisi: How those Bini Treasures Got away’. The performance is in honour of The Fountain School’s 50th anniversary celebration.
Also today, Wdnesday, December 8, 2021 in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, Victor Thompson of Department of Theatre Arts will open his Uyo Theatre and Film Festival to the public at Model Theatre Studio of the department, with Silverbird Cinema Hall 6 as arrival venue for guests. It will be flagged off by the state’s Commissioner of Culture and Tourism, Hon. Orman Esin, while theatre scholar of repute, Prof. Effiong Johnson, will give the keynote address. Film screening will start at 2.00pm while festival concert will be at 6.00pm. The three-day festival that ends on Friday is a packed film and theatre programming that will enliven Uyo culture landscape and also satisfy the taste buds of lovers of those two interrelated genres of performance arts studies.
