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Who's Afraid of Solarin?
The late Dr. Tai Solarin was the Principle and Proprietor of the Mayflower Grammar School at Ikenne, and Public Complaints Commissioner of the former Western State of Nigeria. This play by Femi Osofisan, the distinguished Nigerian playwright, is in his honour. Isola, a rascally and irresponsible traveller, is mistaken for the dreaded Public Complaints Commissioner, Solarin, by the corrupt officials of the Local Government Council. He plays on this until the real Commissioner arrives. The classic play was first published in 1978; and this new edition includes the first Tai Solarin Memorial Lecture, delivered in 2004 by Femi Osofisan.
- GenresDrama
116 pages, Paperback
First published December 29, 2007
About the author
Femi Osofisan
67 books93 followersFemi Osofisan studied in Ibadan, Dakar and Paris and taught theatre and comparative literature at the University of Ibadan for 34 years, a post from which he recently retired.
Osofisan’s professional experience is manifold—he is an award-winning poet, writer, actor, company director, journalist and scholar. But it is as playwright that he established his reputation, having written and produced over fifty plays, roughly half of which have been published.
Among these are a series of plays which speak of Osofisan’s long-standing interest in reinterpreting European works in the context of African—specifically, Yoruba—traditions and customs. He approaches his continuous search for a viable modern written theatre that would still be authentically African not only in terms of shared thematic concerns but, more importantly, with a view to form and technique.
He has worked on several canonical texts—including Shakespeare, Chekov, Gogol, Brecht, Feydeau, Frisch, and Sophocles—and discussed in his essays the consequences of this interweaving of cultures aimed at producing a new synthesis. What comes out of the commingling of Soyinka and Brecht or Grotowski, Clark and Ogunde with Barrault, Rotimi with Mnouchekine and so on, particularly against the backdrop of our traditional performance aesthetics? How can all these elements be pressed into the service of a ‘committed theatre’ in the age of globalized neo-colonialism and increasingly globalized terrorism on the one hand and of ‘Nollywood’ and proliferating Pentecostal movements on the other?
Osofisan’s professional experience is manifold—he is an award-winning poet, writer, actor, company director, journalist and scholar. But it is as playwright that he established his reputation, having written and produced over fifty plays, roughly half of which have been published.
Among these are a series of plays which speak of Osofisan’s long-standing interest in reinterpreting European works in the context of African—specifically, Yoruba—traditions and customs. He approaches his continuous search for a viable modern written theatre that would still be authentically African not only in terms of shared thematic concerns but, more importantly, with a view to form and technique.
He has worked on several canonical texts—including Shakespeare, Chekov, Gogol, Brecht, Feydeau, Frisch, and Sophocles—and discussed in his essays the consequences of this interweaving of cultures aimed at producing a new synthesis. What comes out of the commingling of Soyinka and Brecht or Grotowski, Clark and Ogunde with Barrault, Rotimi with Mnouchekine and so on, particularly against the backdrop of our traditional performance aesthetics? How can all these elements be pressed into the service of a ‘committed theatre’ in the age of globalized neo-colonialism and increasingly globalized terrorism on the one hand and of ‘Nollywood’ and proliferating Pentecostal movements on the other?
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 22, 2020
A really good adaptation of Gogol's The Government Inspector, represented in the context of 1970s Nigeria. Part of the reason the adaptation works so well is because post-independence Nigeria has had such a problem with corrupt government officials, which was one of the major causes the historical Tai Solarin campaigned against. However, one doesn't need an immediate and widespread problem with corruption to appreciate the play, because we all know of inept or greedy officials, cowards and bullies who cheat the people and bestow favors in exchange for favors.
One interesting change here is that Isola Oriebora--the man mistaken for Solarin--picks up on what's happening much quicker than Khlestakov, his counterpart of Gogol's play. While Khlestakov remains largely ignorant of the misrecognition for much of the play and sort of stumbles through the role of inspector, Isola bribes the chairman's servant to tell him what's going on (but gets the info in such a way that the servant doesn't realize he's revealed anything). So, whereas Khlestakov is largely lucky, Isola actually plans to take the corrupt officials' money both for his own benefit and to punish their corruption.
https://youtu.be/6AmtZr6oWK4
One interesting change here is that Isola Oriebora--the man mistaken for Solarin--picks up on what's happening much quicker than Khlestakov, his counterpart of Gogol's play. While Khlestakov remains largely ignorant of the misrecognition for much of the play and sort of stumbles through the role of inspector, Isola bribes the chairman's servant to tell him what's going on (but gets the info in such a way that the servant doesn't realize he's revealed anything). So, whereas Khlestakov is largely lucky, Isola actually plans to take the corrupt officials' money both for his own benefit and to punish their corruption.
https://youtu.be/6AmtZr6oWK4
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews