Reviewer: Yomi Oyelami
Few weeks ago I was privileged to see the virtual production of Time Up? by Ola Awakan on the stage of the Lagos Theatre Festival, and I can only agree with the postulation by the dramatist through his characters. The uncertainty in Nigeria in politics, economy, social misdemeanor and other areas are just so conspicuous in the play, hence, this review.
‘Time Up’ is a play which beams the light on Nigeria’s multifarious challenges including corruption, piracy, political instability, ethno-religious crises, human trafficking, among others. It speaks to how average Nigerians circumvent the system on a daily basis yet only look at the top brass in the society as the culprits of the ailing system. It speaks to how ‘corruption is fighting back’ even as there are ongoing governmental actions to nip it in the bud.
The 40-minute-long drama written by ace thespian and journalist, Ola Awakan played out predominantly as a dialogue between two friends, Jumoke and Jude. Both victims of circumstance, they recalled how they have lost family and friends to conflicts such as the year 2000 Kaduna riots, OPC vs. Arewa conflict in Ajegunle-Apapa, Nyanya bombing, etc. that have occurred in Nigeria. They concluded that ‘those who preach for war are devil’s incarnates because there are no small wars’.
The duo also established how patriotism seems to have been lost among the younger Nigerian population because older patriots like Lillian G. Williams, Ben Odiase, Taiwo Akinkunmi and other nationalists were not celebrated. Some like Dele Giwa, Bola Ige, Murtala Mohammed were even murdered, yet their killers remain at large.
They emphasized that piracy is the killer of creativity. While the likes of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ola Rotimi have used scholarly means to spotlight the state of the nation, many younger Nigerians have had their joy denied them since ‘the joy of a dramatists is to see his drama on stage or screen’. They mentioned the awful story of late Moses Olaiya a.k.a. Baba Sala who borrowed about N1 million to produce a film but his film was out on the streets before official launch, no thanks to piracy. The man never really recovered from that terrible incident till he passed away two years ago.
The play did not just itemize problems upon problems; it explored ways of helping Nigeria out of her multifaceted problems. It talked about the huge feminine population arising to support one another in leadership and politics. It also stressed the importance of the law of natural justice and why it should take its rightful place in the corridors of power in Nigeria. ‘If we don’t remove rotten oranges from the basket, we will continue to have more rotten oranges’, the play affirmed.
Enough said about the story, let’s dissect the plot of ‘Time Up’.
The play opened with the ills of a society in a consultation arguing over which of them had done the greatest damage or has been the greatest contributor to the failure of a society. It, then, opened into the prolonged conversation between two friends, Jumoke and Jude. It climaxed into a riveting flow of music and dance. It found a good way to employ comedy even within the most serious conversations. This, in fact, will ensure that the audience gets value for time as they stay glued to the drama. The play directed by Ifeanyi Ezuikwu is a fantastic mix of plot and storyline.
‘Time Up’ as produced by Artswax Communications and Just Theatre House offers a due documentation and deep reflection into major events that have shaped Nigeria as a nation and her people. It caricatures those sections of the population who believe revolution is the solution and the other half who believe in dialogue. It is a unique story with impactful thematic preoccupation.
Many works of art have been written, acted, painted, and sang to highlight the labyrinth of Nigeria’s socioeconomic and political history. More will still be done but I can conclude that the drama, ‘Time Up’ as directed by Ifeanyi Eziukwu is a fitting representation on the state of the geographic and demographic Nigeria.
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