Broadway in Nigeria: Kakadu goes to Muson this May

Lost in the thought of what the only country he knows has degenerated into, this legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) went on to pour his heart out to a long-time friend and both of them got engrossed in discussing the project called Nigeria.

But of what impact is the discussion between just two fellows of like minds in a population of millions. So, Uche Nwokedi found expression in a medium that would attract attention and invoke the thought of 150 million Nigerians in order to bring to reality the country of our dream. And so, Kakadu, the Musical was born.

Kakadu the Musical, a stage musical drama, is an initiative of Playhouse Productions. Playhouse, adjudged one of Nigeria’s most consistent theatre production companies, has over 23 productions on record.

Come Thursday, May 9, at the Agip Recitall Hall, MUSON Centre, Kakadu, a totally indigenous art form that expresses the true Nigerian story, through drama, dance and music would wow its audience.

In his address, Nwokedi, executive producer, writer and convener of Kakadu the Musical, stated that though Kakadu was the name of a club that was very famous in the 60s for this production, Kakadu represents a space in time and the attempt to recapture a time in Nigeria when life was good.

“There was a dream, there was a plan, there was a purpose and this production is to wrap up and share with its audience that there is hope. Just as a final word. It is the journey to lay the ghost of disharmony to rest.”

Also incorporated into the project are some seasoned actors and actresses, among who are Nobert Young and Tina Mba, who also spoke on their commitment to the project.

According to Young, they had to go through the deep terms of bringing out the subliminal subtext of a text. “What we see most times is people going to brush over the top of a play. They don’t go under to bring out the real meaning, but Kakadu, so far, has gone deep. We started by analysing the play in totality and our individual roles, so we thoroughly understand why we are here; we thoroughly understand what our messages are and how to pass them across.

“The character I am playing in this musical is the character that believes strongly in Nigeria, that there was hope, that that country that was, is still possible to be. It is not because I am part of this experience, if somebody had looked closely at me while the 10 minutes performance went on, you could have seen tears in my eyes. I am very attached to this production. It reminds me of the good days that even me, a young man enjoyed in this country. There was hope, that hope will not be lost, but would be revived by the special grace of our hard work. Facing the truth, we shall become that country God has destined us to become.

Tina Mba has this to say: “It struck me finally that the message is getting to everyone of us. It would take a realisation for you to feel remorse, regret or joy. Kakadu is here to prick our conscience and say, who really are you, are you a Nigerian, are you willing to understand the sacrifices of the people past. Are you willing to take part in this project called Nigeria? There is hope, if only we believe in ourselves, as a nation and as God’s own people.

A 10-minute brief show of what to expect on the D-day saw young energetic men and women acting out the lyrics of the musical history of Kakadu to the audience, who got carried away in their performance. Even though some of the songs, carefully selected to suit the concept, were not peculiar to Kakadu, the different twist given the songs by the cast, gave them a unique dimension.

Tunji Ladna, who is also one of the organisers, describes Kakadu as a very special child whose attitude and personalities picture different aspects of our lives, saying; “As we celebrate the centenary, we have to examine and exorcise the ghost of the past and embedded in that exorcism is always the truth. That is a wonderful thing about the arts. Things you cannot say in the public space or even dare to write about, things that we think about always seem to manifest themselves through the arts.

April 30, 2013