It was indeed a spectacle when the National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN) presented Spectacle, a musical folk-theatre performance, at the National Theatre in Lagos on the evening of Easter Sunday, April 5.
The show started with a 26-member choir resplendent in well-tailored tops and conducted by Emmanuel Adejumo, otherwise known as Boy Sala. The son of the veteran Baba Sala (Olaiya Adejumo), he was later to do a number he titled, ‘Oro Ife’ with help from his colleagues in the troupe.
So coordinated and impressive was the choir that the three numbers it performed on the Cinema Hall 2 stage of the National Theatre resonated deeply with the crowd which filled the hall to capacity. There was no dull moment and the crowd made up of people from all walks of life did not only applaud but constantly called for an encore whenever each performance took place.
The performers, supported by guest artistes, gave the guests a show to remember from songs from across the country to dance and a bit of drama.
Boy Sala, who had a king size bow tie and huge spectacles reminiscent of his father in his hey days, performed his song on a backdrop of two dancing couples giving way to an intense dance performance from another couple. This time, it was a real-life husband and wife, whose move were not only enticing but lend credit to the fact that they have been at it for a couple of years. There’s was not a performance to miss. The couple, said to have two children, danced to the classic song by Julie Gold titled ‘From a Distance’ and the effect of the lights turned them to mere silhouettes of motion delightful to watch.
Then there was comedy from the up-and-coming comedian, Anthony Erorhuo, better known as Malam Spencer whose routine was so good that it earned him an encore later on.
The main event, a spectacle of many different performances at the same time, as it were, started with the beating simultaneously of three large drums and two dances and then some more. There was the man dressed like a woman introducing the celebration, the ‘anger’ woven cloth-wearing Tiv dancers, Fulani, Jukun and Efik dancers, masquerades, and a host of other performers followed.
Then there were performances from Kwara, Oyo and Kano states, a drama skit with a goje-playing musician, dance and more dance with a flutist, who introduces more dancers and drama.
Just when everyone thought all had been said and done, the choir returned to the stage and everyone could see that the members of the troupe were as versatile as they were entertaining, as each could multi-task effortlessly, singing one moment and dancing in the next performance.
It was indeed a perfect night and the only thing they may have awkward is perhaps the lack of correlation in hairstyles and the many shades of black trousers the choir donned.
A proud Artistic Director/CEO of the NTN, Akin Adejuwon, was there to watch it all, as was the General Manager of the National Theatre, Kabir Yusuf. Obukun Odusote, onetime permanent secretary in the Culture Ministry but now in the Presidency, and a host of other distinguished guests also attended.
Adejuwon said NTN was established to serve people by educating and informing the populace through theatre, and that they have decided to bring “performances that encompass theatre in all ramifications like music, dance and drama which NTN is supposed to do. So, for festive seasons, it has been a tradition to bring performances that will edify the people. We need to do exhibitions of what we have and also tour the country, to foster unity.”
Those who saw the show would agree that if the paucity of funds Adejuwon said is limiting the NTN were to be surmounted, many more Spectacle-like performances will tickle the fancy of many who love performances.
