Vanity – and all is vanity – so says Abdullahi’s ‘Chants in a Cemetary’

By Omadachi Oklobia

THE performance of Chants in a Cemetary, written by Mallam Denja Abdullahi, took place yesterday at the on-going Jos International Festival of Theatre 2026. It was directed by Emmixkrizzz Onoja. Performance commenced at 4.58pm with introductions by the 8th Sage. The playwright was in attendance with a retinue of former teachers from the University of Jos, colleagues and friends and the Association of Nigerian Authors’ (ANA) family was fully represented.

The play, performed by Samuel Enoch Terfa (Musa) and Obed Frederick (Baba), is an existentialist one that centres on the experiences and conversations of two gravediggers and uses the cemetary as a commentary to discuss the issues of life, death, human existence and the afterlife. The play encouraged the audience to reflect on the temporary nature of life and the different values that people attach to social status, wealth and other worldly achievements. As a two-man performance, Chants in a Cemetary requires the actors to carry the audience’s attention throughout the 60 minutes’ production and they demonstrated considerable energy and commitment doing so.

Their performance effectively communicated the story and allowed the audience to become emotionally involved in the events unfolding on stage. Their movements were purposeful and precise, as their physical actions complemented their dialogue and helped to communicate the emotions and situations within the play. The actor’s ability to sustain the tempo of the play was not in doubt as this demonstrated their creativity, discipline and understanding of the individual characters. The entire performance was engaging, and kept the audience engaged with the play throughout. But beyond the entertainment, the play encouraged the audience to reflect deeply and ponder on the issues it raises. Chants in a Cemetary succeeded not only as a theatrical experience but also as a platform for thought and reflection.

In the words of the poet and playwright, Abdullahi, “Even with the morbidity of the play, there was laughter and the audience enjoyed it as they gave the cast a standing ovation at the end. I am okay with the interpretation as they enlivened the scenes. The original messages were preserved, the acting was good and the directorial approach was good, too. The audience turn out was good. I was honoured by my teacher Professor Kanchana Ugbabe, and Professor Jerome Dooga, my colleague in the University of Jos, was there too alongside some of my invitees. A camera crew I invited from outside came to interview me for a feature on the festival. Overall, I am satisfied.”

Abdullahi acknowledged the actors and opined that this was the second staging of the play but this was certainly better than the premiere performance.

The day ended beautifully for the diverse audience who came out to watch the performance. Just as the previous day, further commendation was given to the Embassy of Spain and AECID, the Spanish Development Agency, for making the 2026 festival see the light of day. The festival continues today, Friday, 9 October 2026 with a performance of Jerry Alagbaoso’s The Widow’s Choice. It is directed by Wapi Barau.

Director of Chants in a Cemetary, Emmixkrizzz Onoja (left); one of the actors, Samuel Enoch Terfa (Musa), the playwright, Mallam Denja Abdullahi and the second actor, Obed Federick (Baba) yesterday… in Jos

* Oklobia, a student of Federal University, Lafia, is attending the festival