Watching Saro
you could leave with a sour taste in your mouth – not as a result of
disappointment, but from a feeling that Nigeria can and should have much
more of this kind of production. The two-hour-long musical is the first
of its kind in Nigeria – the same country that boasts some of the
biggest names in African entertainment.
The word Saro refers to freed slaves
from Sierra Leone who settled in Nigeria in the early 1800s. In the same
vein, the musical, which is set in modern times, celebrates migrants to
Lagos from other parts of Nigeria, with a focus on four talented young
men (played by Patrick Diabuah, Olumide Dada, Athony Offiong Edet and Paolo Sisiano). The quartet face a series of challenges as they chase better fortunes in this ‘city of dreams’.
A little more could have been done with
the stage setup, although this would be best achieved in a proper
theatre, rather than a hotel ball room. Energy was not in short supply
as the actors, singers and dancers in their eye-catching costumes showed
their spontaneity, proving that this show is worth taking on the road,
anywhere in the world. The music was solidly executed, both by the main
characters of the act (including Diabuah’s operatic voice), but also by
the band, which featured a cohesive horn section. The audience was both
motionlessly fixated on the stage or singing along. Under the leadership
of the musical director Ayo Ajayi, the 25-piece ensemble played a medley of Nigerian music right from classics from Fela Kuti to todays hits from Olamide, Davido and Omawumi,
among others, showing just how much talent this country has to offer.
Talent though, we can all agree, has never been Nigeria’s problem.
Saro’s executive producer, Bolanle Austen-Peters, has
shown just how the country can harness the energy and creativity of its
population. Austen-Peters has prior experience in the arts, running
productions at TerraKulture – her cultural centre in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Saro opened on Friday, October 25, 2013 at the Oriental Hotel
in Lagos, and ran right through the weekend with tickets ranging from
5000 to 40000 Naira, which reveals the demographic the producers were
aiming for – although to be fair, that’s not far from what you would get
to watch a Broadway or West End musical, in the UK or US respectively.
The opening show was marred with
technical issues affecting the microphones and the 3D laser backdrop,
but these hitches were corrected in the later performances.
Considering the novelty and size of this project, it is a shame to have had it open for only one weekend.
Lagos, and Nigeria as a whole, could do
with productions like Saro all year round but there is so much that
needs to be in place before this can happen. There need to be spaces
where performance artists can practice and also perform, and the
National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, would be perfect for that, if only it
was not such a grim representation of Nigeria’s maintenance culture.
Nigerian theatre, and performance arts
as a whole, still has a long way to go but as Bolanle Austen-Peters has
shown, it is up to the citizens to innovate, and Saro has definitely
lived up to its billing.
It would be great to see this show
return. It was a little rough around the edges but nothing that some
smooth finishing cannot handle. Break a leg!
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