Nigerian playwright, producer, director and culture advocate, Wole Oguntokun is dead.
Oguntokun, 56 died in Canada on Wednesday.
The news of his passing was shared by his friend and film director, Kayode Peters, on his Instagram page Thursday afternoon.
The post read, “I remember that year. I was just cutting my teeth as a professional theatre director. Your search for a director for your script brought you to the University of Lagos and I was your obvious choice
“Some months later, we started DBN TV’s first comedy series ‘Crossworld Blues’ which you produced and I directed.
“You moved to Canada and never stopped encouraging me to follow suit. I lost a friend, a thespian all through and through, a great mind, a writer so gifted, so loved. Nigeria just lost one of her brightest and bravest
“Is it a coincidence that you chose to leave on the day the world celebrated World Theatre Day?
“This hurts so bad Wole. Laspapi, our own ojojo. I will miss you so so much. Thank you for trusting me with your work. A good man is gone. Rest well my friend, my brother Wole Oguntokun @laspapi”
Born on July 15, 1967, the late Oguntokun served as a board member of Theaturtle, a Canadian theatre company.
Though trained as a lawyer at the Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Lagos, Oguntokun was known as a quintessential playwright and director who displayed so much passion for theatre and popularised it.
Not only was he known for his incisive plays that often tackled pressing social issues, he was also famous as a producer and director.
Before he relocated to Canada, he had created the annual Season of Soyinka, which is entering its 9th season. In each season, the plays of the Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, are staged at Terra Kulture in Lagos. His works, which resonated with audiences globally for their depth and cultural significance, received international recognition. He was also a fellow of many international theatrical bodies.
Not only was Oguntokun a multiple award- winner, he produced and directed plays by many of Nigeria’s best-known playwrights including Soyinka’s (Kongi’s Harvest, Madmen & Specialists, The Lion and the Jewel, The Swamp Dwellers, Death and the King’s Horseman, The Strong Breed, Childe Internationale, Camwood on the Leaves, The Jero Plays); Osofisan’s Morountodun, Once Upon Four Robbers, The Engagement, The Inspector and the Hero; Professor Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not To Blame; Zulu Sofola’s King Emene, Wedlock of the Gods, Wizard of Law, as well as Athol Fugard’s Sizwe Banzi is Dead.
Known for his tireless passion and enthusiasm for theatre, his career was marked by a series of notable achievements. It included the establishment of the Theatre Republic in Lagos, a creative space that has nurtured countless Nigerian artistes and performers. His commitment to the arts was unwavering, and he played a pivotal role in promoting Nigerian theatre on the world stage.
His plays, characterised by their poignant storytelling and sharp wit, have been staged in various countries, bringing Nigerian narratives to a broader audience.
