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New Nigerians, theatre review: Disappointing political satire isn't a vote winner

Gruelling: New Nigerians offers few answers or insights: Alex Brenner
Gruelling: New Nigerians offers few answers or insights: Alex Brenner

In these troubled, introspective, xenophobic times, it’s more vital than ever that the arts fulfil their key role of giving us a wider and more tolerant perspective on the world.

I was greatly looking forward to a 100-minute satire on contemporary Nigerian politics, playing somewhat tenuously as part of the Arcola’s season celebrating the centenary of the Russian revolution. But what a disappointment Oladipo Agboluaje’s new work turn out to be.

It’s almost instantly, dispiritingly apparent that New Nigerians is hermetically sealed, letting in neither air nor, more crucially, us, the audience. We remain entirely uninvolved in this tiresome three-hander from beginning to end, even when one of the characters addresses us directly. This is not the way to make a play that matters, one that teems with life and opinions.

Greatness Ogholi (Patrice Naiambana) is the politically principled but personally unhappy leader of the People’s Revolutionary Party, which is hoping to gain ground in the upcoming elections. But the political scene is riddled with problems and corruption, which means that a coalition could be the answer. What price ideals and loyalty now?

Unfortunately Agboluaje gives us few answers and even fewer insights. These aren’t so much characters as randomly assembled collections of sometimes very lengthy lines and the scenes have the dubious distinction of being simultaneously over-long and under-informative.

The acting in Rosamunde Hutt’s gruelling production varies wildly, as Greatness and his unpredictable deputy Chinasa (Gbemisola Ikumelo) lurch through a series of meetings in the hope of new alliances. I certainly wouldn’t vote for anyone on offer here.

Until March 11, Arcola Theatre; arcolatheatre.com