By Wole Balogun, PhD
Theatre and Media Arts students of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State Capital, on Monday, March, 24, 2025, dazzled guests and audience of the University community with a scintillating performance of Femi Osofisan’s metaphorical dramatic text, Many Colours Make the Thunder King. It was performed as the command performance of the 29th Convocation ceremony of the University.
Though presented on an unbefitting proscenium stage where scenic changes were conspicuously carried out before the audience, the artistry deployed by the student actors compensated for obvious shortcomings a critic could decipher in the performance. Osofisan’s…Thunder King recounts the myth of Yoruba renowned deity, Sango (played by Adebayo Omotosho Francis), the god of thunder, who displays his anger by emitting fire from his mouth. A highly shot-tempered man, who desires to be greater than his father, another revered Yoruba deity, Oranmiyan.
Sango’s herculean task of marrying a river was made to materialize by his friend,Alagemo (played by Olowolayemo Doloapo), an acolyte of the Yoruba treacherous god, Esu, a god of justice. Alagemo deploys his craftiness and uncommon magical power to assume any image he wishes, to aide Sango in marrying not only Oya, beautiful and wealthy goddess of the river but also Osun, another beautiful and good natured daughter of Oba Aroni, king of the forest and owner of herbs.
Thus, Sango fulfills his great desire in achieving greatness considered more ennobling than that of his father. But things soon began to turn awry afterwards. Oya (played by Runsewe Adebimpe) becomes unhappy as Sango abandons the matrimonial bed with her for failing to become pregnant. She is pained each time Sango pays more attention to Osun who has given children to the thunder king despite being a second wife. A sad Oya becomes manipulative, she tries to lure Alagemo, Sango’s faithful friend, into adultery with her but he rejects it. While she wails in her frustration, a loving and pure-hearted Osun (played by Oni Oluwatofunmi Rebecca) notices her and consoles her, assuring her that Eledumare, the supreme being would still shower mercy on her and fulfills her desires. Osun goes further to suggest to her to consult Yeye Iroko (played by Ayantuga Iyanuoluwa), great mother of the forest who has the power to give the barren woman a child. A desperate Oya urges Osun to take her to Yeye Iroko and in her desperation, pledges to her that all she wanted was to convince Sango that she could conceive, Yeye Iroko could take the child back immediately after she has given birth to it. Osun cautions her to stop making careless statement before a rigid Yeye Iroko, saying every word uttered before the goddess of the forest, becomes prophetic and must be obeyed.
Yeye Iroko grants Oya’s wish and she becomes pregnant. Oya becomes ungrateful and allows her jealousy for Osun to override reasoning. She plots to damage the love affair between Sango and Osun by trapping Osun in a web of conspiracy she hatched. She convinces Osun to persuade Alagemo to use his magical power to assume Sango’s image, saying having such scenario would create so much fun for them. An unsuspecting Osun accepts because she enjoys Alagemo ‘s company as a brotherly friend. While Alagemo and Osun are having a friendly chat over the image shifting game, Oya appears with Sango and his warriors and Sango becomes livid with anger on seeing his beloved wife and friend in a nearly compromising manner. Driven by the deceit carefully plotted by Oya, a shot tempered and impatient Sango sends his faithful wife, Osun, parking, thus setting the stage for an impending doom.
Now fully in charge of Sango’s emotions, Oya lures Sango to command a duel between Gbonka (played by Bankole Sefunmi Peter) and Timi (played by Adegoke Micheal Olamide), his two loyal warriors. She advised that the two are becoming too powerful and influential and may one day jointly challenge the authority of the thunder king, so there is the need for one to be exterminated in the duel. Sango blindly accepts Oya’s foolish plan and the stage was set for his final doom. Timi and Gbonka have no choice than to obey without questioning, the thunder king ‘s order, as tradition demands. Gbonka kills Timi in the duel and realizing he has committed an abominable act of exterminating an innocent and loyal friend, he challenges Sango into a duel, thus bringing the exalted office of the thunder king into shame before his teeming subjects. Sango becomes terribly angry that he emits so much fire and destroys his warriors and palace, except Oya whose nature as a river is immune to the destruction. Both Oya and Sango realize the consequence of their actions after the massive destruction caused by Sango’s anger. Sango decides to hang himself while Oya equally commits suicide to join her beloved husband in the world beyond. The performance thus, ends on a note of caution against inordinate ambition.
The play’s rich in Yoruba tradition was well depicted through the.rich and highly interpretative costumes and props provided for the actors by the Costume Consultant and artistic Director, Miss. Toyin Bade Afuye. The 200L students who realized the performance did a great job. Each of them delivered their lines and acted excellently. Alagemo who also bears lgunnu was exceptional, so was Sango and the two ladies who acted Osun and Oya. Oya in particular marched her acting prowess with very appropriate gestures, that showed her manipulative nature especially at the scene where she lures Osun into goading Alagemo to attempt an image shift to Sango. The drummer girls, also added colour to the performance by displaying uncommon talent in the art.
However, the unbefitting stage almost drown the voices of some of the actors, such as lgunnu in his first scene with Sango, as well as the birds. Most conspicuous was scenic changes by the technical crew of the performance which was inevitably carried out in the full glare of the audience, thus disrupting the make-believe illusion needed to perfect such changes. However, what the performance lost in scenic changes was compensated for in the highly representative costumes given to the characters . There were also beautiful songs marched perfectly with dance steps to reinforce the tempo and exciting dramatic actions of the performance. This made the audience to be thrilled as they relish it. As the plays ends in an exciting crescendo, both Senator Babafemi Ojudu, patron of the TMA department and the amiable Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Joseph Babatola Ayodele had no choice than to eulogize the ingenuity of the actors in interpreting a classic of Femi Osofisan in a most promising way. The Director of the performance, Miss. Toyin Bade Afuye was also praised for doing an excellent job. Of
As a way of encouraging the youngsters, Senator Ojudu announced a cash gift for the students while the VC promised to encourage the department by providing in stages, some of their pressing needs.
Urging the University management and other stakeholders to come to the aide of the Department of Theatre and Media Arts of the University in providing needed facilities to enhance the performance of the lecturers and students in teaching and learning, the Head of Department (HOD), Prof. Victor Ogbeide, said:” We are grateful to all the members of the University management team, led by our amiable Vice-Chancellor, Prof. J.B Ayodele for grading this occasion. We urge the University authorities to invest more in the department so we can continue to make EKSU proud. We also appreciate our dear Senator and other visitors and university community present here today. Thank you”.
The crew member for the performance included, Mr..Yinka Magbagbeola, Gbenga Ayoba, Emmanuella Bakare, Abdul-Quadri Joy Akinola, Prof. Olaide Nasir, Ganiyu Kareem, Dr. Sola Balogun, Dr. Stanley Ohenhen, Dr. Micheal Agboola, Mr. Dele Ojo’ Amos, Mr. Akintunde Samuel, Amos Adenekan, Moses Esho, Oselusi Bolarinwa, Rukayat Adebiyi, Olaside Falope, Orolu Oluwaseun, Ayantoye Asaolu, Adewole Adebayo, Apalowo Josiah, David Tume, Esther Abiodun Unegbu, and Prof. Bakare Ojo’ Rasaki, Artistic Adviser.