ENG 318

MODERN AFRICAN DRAMA

What is colonialism?
What do we mean by influence of colonialism on Modern
African Drama? - The impact, effects of colonialism on
Modern African Drama.
Modern African Drama is a drama written in European
languages; English, French, Portuguese... by African
writers which discusses African consciousness and
features Africa's traditional culture, norms, values;
(modes) whose primary target audience is Africans.
It was discovered that colonisation birthed modern
Africa.
How do you see modernisation, a blessing or curse?
We can now link our views to what colonialism stand for.
What is colonialism?
Colonialism is a direct and overall domination of one
country by another in the basis of the state being in the
hands of a foreign or stronger power.
Nigeria's experience under direct overall domination by
Britain was between (1900 and 1960).
The main focus of colonialism is political domination
(Power) and to exploits the colonised countries.
Colonialism in Africa took place between 1800 - 1960s.
This is referred to as a phenomenon that has another
phenomenon called imperialism.
What is imperialism?
Imperialism is a policy of extending a country's power and
influence through colonisation. Empire, forcefully impose
rule, authority over other nations,
The policy of forming and maintaining an empire by
subjugating territories and establishing colonies forcefully. It
is policy of extending a country's power over another
through colonialism.
A brief discussion on how colonialism began:
Colonialism began as a result of changes in the mode of
production in Europe, for instance, the emergence of
industrial revolution. This ushered in a new process of
production in place of the earlier slave - based economy...
The industrial revolution was a revolutionary trend in the
history of mankind.
Although, colonialism influenced African continent
socially, politically and economically. It had negative and
positive influence.
Europeans came under the disguise of been a blessing to
African continent but they caused more harm than good.
They dispossessed and disinherited Africans of their
lands. Africa's virtues, values, resources, culture norms.
They took virtually everything that belong to Africa,
extensively exploited Africa, they stripped them of their
valuables, almost all their possessions and belongings,
and they rendered Africa economically weak and
vulnerable.
They actually came with the aim of help and assistance,
as they claimed but they, desecrated, destroyed African
lands and natural resources. They changed social systems
of living, brought strange and foreign diseases.
They affected and afflicted humans, livestock.
Though there are positive influences that colonialism
introduced, the negative were more pronounced and had
ripple effects till today.
Colonialism started in Africa with the European aim to
acquire raw materials for their industries in Europe,
though they claimed that they were on a mission to
civilise African, brought domination, negative influence
on Africans and Africa as a continent.
Africans reacted, protested but the result was more
terrible. Any opposition to Europeans decisions was
death.
These new settlers introduced strange and foreign
diseases like Ruder-pest disease which affected livestock.
These was common among Shona indigene from today's
Zimbabwe and Botswana. (Southern region of Africa)
Also, colonialism had been argued and accepted to be
exploitative. A counter discourse (which would be
postcolonialism) would be the one with Marxist
overtones to reflect the unequal distribution of economic
resources where the masses are at a loss.

In East African region, the Indian workers introduced

'jiggers' which is still a serious menace till today.
Of course, these Indian workers played a vital role in the
construction of railway line that links Kenya port to
Uganda.
They also caused serious divisions amongst Africans, they
divided the Africa continent into colonies for themselves
and that led to artificial creation of boundaries, this action
led to conflict as we are going to discover in our literary
texts.
In many part of East African region, the Indian workers
brought 'jiggers' which is still a menace till today, these are
the Indian workers played a vital role in the construction
of railway line that links Kenya port and Uganda.
They also created division among Africans, they divided
the African Continent.
These division into colonies is for themselves and this led
to artificial creation of boundaries and it resulted into
serious conflict which is still lingering till today.
The effect of this conflict was genocide's experience of
Rwanda in 1994.
The colonialists introduced state rule which completely
destroyed African system of leadership and government
that existed among them before the advent of colonial
masters.
They disrupted the well-structured peaceful organised
atmosphere once enjoyed in Africa.
The colonialists forced their choice of leadership on
people, they selected preferred people to rule.
Also, introduced subsidiaries of land ownership,
where everyone owned a piece of land for cultivation
and other activities.
They dispossessed them of their lands and denied
them of their communal land ownership and
perspectives.
Colonisation brought capitalism to Africa which was
strange and after independence, those who were
seen as collaborators with the European took over
leadership and accumulated great wealth for
themselves and continue businesses with the
European to date.
 Positive influence of colonialism (impacts)
 Introduction of Christianity; this brought about more
religious missionary opportunities
 Education; they established mission schools to
educate local people, to learn about their lands and
cultures.
 Introduction of new technology, tools for farming,
they built more infrastructures including medical
facilities, communication networks, schools, various
plantations for growing cash crops like cocoa, coffee,
tea, rubber cotton amongst others.
 Western civilisation and awareness about Africa's
rich culture.
 Negative influences including;
 Dislocation and reallocation of Africans.
 Dispossessions and disinheritance of their lands.
 Slavery: Africans were taken as slaves and forced to
work on the plantations without pay.
 African culture; polluted and diluted, traditions,
culture, norms, communal life styles were taken away
and Africa ways of life was destroyed as a result of
Christianity.
 European forced Africa to learn their language, eat
their food and dress like them and abandon their
traditional ways of dressing, eating and torn their
families apart.
Femi Osofisan in the origin of Drama in West Africa
explains the modern African drama as the one "whose
medium remains the language of the former colonising
powers and whose techniques are borrowed from the
European estate". (11) Osofisan' submission is that
modern African drama depend heavily on oral tradition
for the production of their literary works. Modern
African writers borrowed immensely from folktales,
myths, legend, festivals and rituals to project their
experiences as often dictated by the socio- cultural,
economic and political milieu. For instance, Ola Rotimi‘s
Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, Ngugi wa Thiong'o’s and Micere
Mugo‘s The Trial of Dedan Kimathi can be described as
representative texts and theatrical performance that
respond to African colonial experience.
The thematic concerns are; The struggle against
western incursions. Imperialism, Mau mau rebellion
against British high mindedness- protest and war,
Death. Tawfiq Al- Hakim's Fate of a cockroach presented
Africa's post independence sufferings, pains, agony,
chaos and calamities. Ahmed Yerima‘s Hard Ground is a
response to Africa realities. Experiences of encounters
with the Western world and the materials from native
African cultures create the unique identity of Modern
African Drama
Ngugi wa Thiong'o’s and Micere Mugo‘s The Trial of Dedan
Kimathi. Historical play centres on colonial history, colonial
issues and its effects on African and their thinking. The
history of the struggle for independence. Ngugi is a Kenyan
writer, Marxist, activist, scholar and he fought against
various forms of oppression. He struggled for Kenya's total
liberation from foreign domination. Athol Fugard’s Sizwe
Bansi is Dead also historical text, set in South Africa during
the apartheid period with the central character being
Sizwe (an impersonated dead man) Ngugi insisted that the
struggle will continue until the wealth and lands that
belongs to the Kenya people are returned. He is a freedom
fighter and the leader of maumau movement
Mugo is a Kenyan writer, author, scholar, activist, professor
of literature, a critic and her works draw heavily upon
indigenous African culture. She is an Africanist and shares
the same vision with Ngugi (vision of redemption from
colonial high handedness). History is made by people, in
both sense of 'made'. It's people who are the activists and
people who are the recorders. Also, history seems to
emphasise the movements, crucial decisions and the
personalities rather than every day event. It is also
described as story that can be divided into units or
segments which has beginning, middle and end, and can
be called narrative, it can be narrated. In literature, history
not only provide stories or narrative but it also provides
themes which are specific to the writers or dramatist's
world view, such as the struggle for independence.
He is a military and spiritual leader of the Mau Mau
Uprising. A critical reading of this text presents to the
readers the fact that the authors (Ngugi and Mugo)
capture their historical and political intentions. The text
captures the Kenya's war of liberation known as Mau-
Mau rebellion against the British colonial regime. Kimathi
is not a fictional character. He actually existed and his
involvement, heroism and some of his activities to
facilitate and lead the Mau Mau rebellion is captured in
the text.

The text is a response to colonialist writings about Mau-

Mau movement and its leadership struggle. Kimathi is
seen as a great hero, leader of Mau- Mau- Mau an
activist and a man of great courage and commitment. The
Trial of Dedan Kimathi was published in 1976 which
captures the historical trials of Dedan Kimathi of 1956.
Let's discuss Kimathi in the following categories:
 Who is Dedan Kimathi?
 His role in history and drama.
 What led to his arrest, his arrest and trial
 Court room scenes
 His experience in prison, the torture...

He was seen a terrorist, a rebel because he was the

leader of the Mau Mau rebellion. The Capture of
Kimathi led to the arrest of Dedan Kimathi during the
Mau Mau uprising in He refused to give up the
whereabouts of his other colleagues even during his
trial. He was charged with possession of a firearm and
ammunition. The core of the play, core of the meaning
as well as a story line has woven around it as a
cumulative portrait of Dedan Kimathi, developed
through symbolic trials.
These four symbolic trials take place in the cell in the jail
which is symbolic of a state of mind or of a wilderness.
The play is in three movements, the four trials occurred
in the second movement. The first movement focus on
the establishment of the historical perspective of the
present struggle against imperialism, the Mau Mau war,
Kimathi’s arrest and detention in Nyeri. The woman, the
boy and the girl. They are simply called woman, Boy, Girl
in the play.
Background
Colonialism began in South Africa in 1952. Two
Europeans countries who occupied their lands are
Netherlands and great Britain. Netherlands between mid
17th, late 18th centuries and early 19th century. Great
Britain (1795- 1803) and (1806- 1961) shortly before
their independence. The basic aim of colonialism is for
economic and social gain Fugard addresses the
victimisation of black in South Africa. He uses major
characters to illustrate what he has witnessed as a young
man. He uses the text to capture the experience of
apartheid, he uses his characters to demonstrate the
activities of apartheid government. The class struggles,
segregation, in search of greener pasture. The issue of
identity.
He emphasises the importance of ‘pass’ to human lives.
Lifeless paper, called document of better value than
human life. A man can declare himself to be no more in
as much he can lay hold on pass to work and has
identification number. This was a strategy to keep the
native south Africans restricted to the undeveloped,
remote places while the developed cities were occupied
by the whites.

Characters' Sketch
The main character is a man called Sizwe Banzi who is
also Robert Zwelimzima. Fugard, discusses the effects
of the pass law on black South Africans. They are
dislocated, abused, denied basic rights and their real
identity.
The eponymous character, Size Banzi is used by the
author to illustrate the fact that every South Africans
struggles to secure work permits so as to take care of
their lives and families, like Banzi that has to take care of
his wife and four children. He exposes the readers to the
violence and intense police brutality of that period. The
blacks have no lives, they are monitored and controlled
by a pass book all of their lives and the only evidence that
they ever existed is their own memory as a black man.
This is why Style’s photography shop is very significant to
the black community. The pictures taken there is an
evidence of a life. Also, this has a political undertone, the
text is an example of a tragic comedy drama and explores
individual's experience of repression. The narrative
centres on Sizwe Banzi especially, his assumption of a
new identity, another man' s identity. Robert's revival and
Bansi's death.
Robert's death gives a new identity to Banzi, (Robert
Zwellinzima' s rebirth and the death of Sizwe Bansi) The text
explores the image of apartheid in South Africa. For instance;
"you must smile brother“. What is the meaning of that? It
reveals the fact that the situation is not palatable or call for
smile, wearing another identity... What is apartheid? Apartheid
was a system of institutionalised racial segregation government
in South Africa from 1948 to 1990s. The text explores the
activities of apartheid, segregation policy, racial discrimination
segregation policy against non white.
Thematic thrusts; the text reveals the effects of apartheid;
 Apartheid
 Race and racism
 Identity
 Oppression and racial discrimination.

Apartheid laws of 1948 affected and tortured every aspects of

social life of the blacks in South Africa.
Femi Osofisan's Morountodun
BACKGROUND
Babafemi Adeyemi Osofisan, Nigerian poet, dramatist,
novelist essayist, editor from Erunwon, Ogun State,
Nigeria. Born 16th June, 1946. Retired Professor of
Theatre from University of Ibadan. A critic and a renown
political activist. His interest is basically satirising societal
ills, he uses his works to expose good and evil in the
society, attacks political activities and unveil corruption in
the corridors of power, to mention a few. Moroutodun is a
recreation of myth and history. He is described as a
Marxist, probably, because of his acute social
consciousness which has become the hallmark in his
works. Who is a Marxist? An individual who believes that
capitalism can only thrive on the exploitation of the
working class.
Osofisan is a Marxist who draws inspiration from Karl
Marx theory. He is a social political activist and uses
Marxist ideology to relate his messages to his readers
through his plays. He also employs archetypal
heroism in his works. What is archetype? Archetype
or Archetypal means an idea or Symbol, character
that appears again and again in a story, any story
element that appear again in a story from culture.
Also, a symbol, idea, or character, in a story which
helps a reader to connect certain parts of themselves
with the characters so as to better understand the
story. Osofisan uses the text (Morountodun) to
protest against oppression of the masses.
This text is a re- enactment of an historical incident that
centres on the Yoruba peasant farmers' uprising known
as the ‘Agbekoya’ (Farmers reject exploitation).
Agbekoya (1969). This incident occurred in 1969, the
movement against the oppression and excessive
taxation by the government of western region.

Morountodun starts with Titubi, a young beautiful and

the only daughter of a rich and an highly influential
Alhaja kabirat. She violently obstructs a stage
performance in the company of her friends with the
mind of stopping the on going farmers' struggles. The
farmers' intention is to protest against the affluent of
those in authority. She is arrested by police, the team of
police led by Salami, a Deputy Superintendent of Police
who mistaken her to be a victim and later discovers her
to be the intruder and offender.
The superintendent arrests her for causing civil
disturbance and charges her for using mob action
against struggling people who are just playing. (satire)
Salami challenges her that instead of using the same
energy counter to peasant farmers who are protesting
against government and rich people in the society. This
propels Titubi to break into the camp of the rebelling
peasants and bring their leaders to justice. (her thought)

Osofisan presents Titubi as a strong, fearless character

who is determined to re-enact the daring and strong
determination of heroic exploit of the legendary Moremi
in Yoruba mythology. Moremi released herself to be
captured by the Igbo invaders of her kingdom, she later
returned to the king (her husband) She revealed the
secrets of the enemies and this helped her kingdom to
wage war and conquered the enemies. ( the invaders)
Titubi joins the farmers in their camp and later
transforms to their feelings and visions, she agrees
with the rebelling farmers and join them in the
struggle against the oppressed and government
exploitative laws.

Thematic concerns
 Starvation and poverty
 Disillusionment
 Corruption and irresponsibility of the ruling class,
amongst others.

Osofisan exposes the readers to the world of

oppressed, class defenceless, deprived in the society.
He uses Titubi to liberate the downtrodden.
Corruption and irresponsibility of the ruling class. Osofisan
exposes the readers to the world of oppressed, class
defenceless, deprived in the society. He uses Titubi to
liberate the downtrodden. The text emphasis a collective
victory, heroism instead of individual heroism. He makes
people to rise up as heroes, collectively claiming victory
over exploitative and oppressive government. The readers
observe a collective actions in the struggles for liberation of
the poor and the downtrodden They forced government to
negotiate and the table turns in their favour at the end they
won. Osofisan presents a myths based play, revolutionary
and subverting in nature. It is a subversion of history and
traditional beliefs. Ideological representation of Marxist
idea in which the poor, downtrodden are given expression
and opportunity to change from their lowest and innocence
stage of life to face realities and revolutionalise. He
interrogates historical cultural, socio-political, and
socioeconomic realities of African society and her heritage.
Ahmed Yerima' s Hard Ground
He is known as Ahmed Yerima Parker Yerima, from Auchi in
Edo State, born in Lagos State. His father was a police
officer whose original intention was that his son should
study law. Yerima' s interest is in theatre from secondary
school. He acquired all his degrees in Theatre Arts. He got
his doctorate in Theatre studies and dramatic criticism in
1984. Employed as Deputy Artistic Director of National
Troupe in 1991. He became Director of the Troupe in 2000.
Appointed the Executive officer of the National Troupe in
2006. He is currently a Professor of Theatre and culture
studies at Redeemer University, Ede, Osun State. He is
described as a prolific dramatist, versatile and his
versatility reflect in the diverse topics he discusses. He had
written more than twenty plays. These plays focus on the
problems and the prospects of different ethnic groups in
Nigeria.
Several of his plays focus on the culture and traditions of
different tribes in Nigeria. He is vast in the culture of Nigeria.
Yerima is one of the male playwrights who have shown
interest in feminist issues. Hard Ground won prize in the
drama category of the 2007, Nigerian Liquefied National Gas
literary Prize. The text questions certain anomalies and extol
virtues found out in the society. It reflects the events in the
Niger- Delta region. It is a tragedy centres on the topical
issues of environmental degradation because of oil
exploration in the Niger-Delta, which has led to numerous
crises in the region. He uses his protagonist, Nimi to establish
the struggles among youths for justice.
Major Themes are:
 Betrayal and conspiracy.
 Economic and political deprivation
 Aggressive bloody revolution instead of dialogue.
 Religious hypocrisy amongst others.