Kakadu: The Musical

A couple of days ago, I wrote this: Lessons From Afam: death to monotony. It was a response to this: Where does one go to do something anymore? by a guy I like to call the poetry writing yam. It isn't that his name has anything to do with yams, it's just that I think "the poetry writing yam" is infinitely more interesting than "A-zone, the poet". He wrote that there isn't anything to do in Lagos apart from go clubbing, eat overpriced food, drink overpriced drinks, and see films. I disagree. The thought that a young man of means should confine himself to only four social activities strikes me as tragic. I am not capable of such bad behaviour and as such I doubt that I shall ever be bored. Boredom for me is the thirty minutes I spend deciding how best to occupy myself for  the rest of the day. Because the bulk of you are not like me, I, Afam, the thoughtful, have taken it upon myself to inform you of opportunities for fun and entertainment that lurk in the darkness. Of course, they don't really lurk anywhere, it's more likely that you gain some odd satisfaction from complaining, and that this weird satisfaction prevents you from seeking new dispensers of delight.

 It really doesn't look like they're acting and this is usually a good sign. If they were clothed differently, I would genuinely believe that they were getting down in a club. If I was on form, I dare say that I'd join them. Don't be silly! This isn't how they'll be dressed during the actual performances. Having said that, I would quite like a t-shirt. 

From the 9th of May till the 12th of May and from the 17th of May till the 19th of May, Lagosians will have the chance to see a new musical, called Kakadu The Musical, at the Agip Recital Hall. I can't tell you if this musical production is good or not as I'm a few thousand miles away and I lack any powers of divinity. Of course I apologise for my inability to gaze into the future and watch the musical in advance. And you mustn't doubt that if I could in fact see the future, I would devote my prophetic powers to discerning the amount of satisfaction you would derive from seeing it. I wouldn't be concerned with anything else.

Because sentences like the ones above are often too sophisticated for the extremely temperamental thing between my ears, I feel that it would be wicked of me if I didn't tell you that a rather generous portion of sarcasm was served in them. On some days I'm literally invincible, every word that bleeds from my fingers is gold, and on some others they aren't even worth lead, or graphite, or dirt. Do you see what I did there?

The musical tells the story of Nigeria in a fairly interesting if not unusual way. You see most accounts of Nigeria's history are boring affairs. I do not mean that the events that occur in the histories are boring for tales of murder, corruption and madness are never boring, but that the telling of them is dull. Kakadu the musical tells the story of Nigeria through the gaze of a nightclub; a nightclub called Kakadu. I know this seems a little odd for nightclubs don't typically tell stories, but the musical follows the lives of the people that were connected to the nightclub and reveals the effects of the National going ons on them.

It's a must see. It isn't a must see because it's good, and from what I've read about it, I do not think that it can be bad. Even if it is bad, it can't be that bad for the producers, Winifred and Uche Nwokedi are veterans, the writer, Uche Nwokedi speaks well and writes well (I assume that he writes well, for both he and those around him know what good writing is, they would not be so wicked as to let him write and produce something that wasn't worth the light of day), the director, Chike Kani Omo directed Saidi's Song which starred Rita Dominic (It was a little heavy handed, but he managed to extract decent performances from his actors), and the Musical Director, Benneth Ogbeiwi has so many credits that I cannot list them all without sending the bulk of you to sleep. Furthermore it is the first indigenous musical of it's scale. Its cast is made up of 60 thespians, many of whom are professional musicians. Regardless of how it is received it will be referenced by every musical that comes after it. You will think yourselves accursed if you were not there when history was made.

For those of you who complain about being restricted to four activities, a chance to do something different has emerged, jump on it lest you find yourselves classed among those who complain for the sake of complaining, refusing to do anything to change their situation.

Click here for tickets, and ticket information.

Happy Days,
Afam