The writer and producer, Uche Nwokedi, shares the joy of returning the globally acclaimed production to the stage for Christmas.
Ten years after its premiere, the spectacular ‘Kakadu The Musical’ returns to the stage this yuletide. It will run at the MUSON Centre from December 28 to 30 after successful previous outings in Switzerlandand South Africa.
The musical, written by senior lawyer Uche Nwokedi, tells the story of dreams, hopes, friendships, broken promises, loss, love, and innocence. The then-famous Kakadu Lagos nightclub in the 50s and 60s is the backdrop of the musical. It was a famous watering hole for people, but the Nigerian Civil War happened, and things were never the same for the four friends from different tribes- Emeka, Kola, Osahon and Dapo alongside their female counterparts – Bisi, Ammonia, Enoh and Hassana.
Ahead of its return, still being helmed by UK-based Kanayo Omo as the artistic director, Nwokedi is happy. He is grateful to First Bank Plc’s First@Arts and Kingmakers for supporting this Christmas performance, a milestone in the production’s journey.
“When it premiered, it did so well that it was given an award by the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) in 2013. Part of the citation for the award was that it was complete theatre. At the time, I think it was unexpected. And in a way, it brought another theatre genre to the stage in Nigeria. Since then, Kakadu has travelled to Calabar, Davos in Switzerland and Jo’Burg in South Africa. Yes, it’s almost a completely new company or cast, the fourth that has run Kakadu since it premiered in 2013. Our usual approach is to audition each time we have a run,” Nwokedi explained.
He continued, “The main thing is that it is an enduring production with an enduring theme. What I find most interesting is that the plot and its message continue to resonate through the years with the central question – How do we build a nation? Each time we run, we leave it to the cast to address that question. The plot continues to resonate throughout Nigeria, especially Nigeria today. It’s always relevant, always addressing our national consciousness; it’s enduring. It’s the kind of production that when you see it again, the historicity of it puts your mind on enquiry – where are we now?’ Even now, as we are running it, we have seen other directions we could go if we wanted. But we must be careful to keep it simple and not overstretch or extend too much. So, it’s an exciting production, and to be honest with you, when I wrote it, I didn’t think it would have this kind of impact on theatre in Nigeria. At the time, it was just a fun project for my foundation – The Playhouse Initiative.”
‘Kakadu’ is a kaleidoscope of sounds: highlife, calypso, Latin beat, Afrobeat, Anglo-American soul, pop, and Nigerian folk songs, which evoke nostalgia for the ‘60s and the great musicians of yesteryears. It also touches on nation-building and asks how Nigeria should proceed.
For Nwokedi, “That is one of the central questions. Where do we go from here? So, the question is, ‘How do we build a nation?’ When we staged it in South Africa, that was what they held on to. One of the patrons who came to see the show said she liked that we asked the question, ‘How do we build a nation?’ because that’s also where they are. That question, ‘How do we build a nation?’ resonated well with them. That is a question facing Nigeria today: how do we build a nation? It’s a question we should always ask ourselves in everything we do: how do we build a nation?
“For several reasons. You know, ‘Kakadu’ has a strong spirit, so it arrested us, everybody involved in the project. And it kept us like that (frozen)! Even when we think of going in different directions, we still come back to it; that is to say, we’re still working on it. But then it’s also a question of time for me. I also took time off to write my childhood memoir of the Civil War, ‘A Shred of Fear,’ which has received good reviews so far. Maybe in the future, I will come back to write drama. I have a couple of productions in the pipeline that I’m writing. It’s always a question of competing interests between my law practice and work, and drama is a passion. The law practice keeps the lights on, so it takes precedence in what I do.”
So, is it still the same Kakadu of a decade ago that people will see this yuletide?
Nwokedi replies: “We have a lot of younger people this time. Some people who went to South Africa with us are still with us. But we still auditioned. So we have a fresh cast, and a combination of some young people and some older people makes it a fascinating cast. They bring their interpretation to the story because each actor interprets the characters they play in their way. Some people asked me, ‘Why are you doing it again?’ you’ve done it before, and I said it’s the same Kakadu but a different production.
“Production-wise, it’s different. So, anybody who saw it a few years ago and comes to see it now will be looking at a different show. We’ve worked on the music and improved; we’ve worked on the drama and improved, and the staging will be somewhat different. And again, you see it through the eyes of these young people as well, who, in their own way, are trying to interpret what is happening in Nigeria. It’s a history lesson for these new actors as well. What was Nigeria like in the 1960s, and what is it like now? So, they have to research what Nigeria was in the 60s and what it is now.”
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