Stage Plays

NO	TITLE	YEAR	PLACE OF PREMIERE	ASSOCIATED RECORDS
01	Adam and Eve - aka The Garden of Eden	1944	Glover hall	Ibere ki ise onise
02	Africa and God	1944	Glover hall	Oluwa lo’ni ise aiye
03	Israel in Egypt	1945	Glover hall	Oya ka rele
04	Nebuchadnezzar’s Reign and Belshazzar’s Feast or Two Impious Reigns	1945	Glover hall
05	King Solomon	1945	Glover hall
06	Worse than Crime	1945	Glover hall
07	Journey to Heaven (Ibeji Meji)	1945	Glover hall
08	Black Forest (Igbo Irunmale)	1945	Glover hall
09	Strike and Hunger	1945	Glover hall	Kobo Ojumo
10	Tiger’s Empire	1946	Glover hall	Awa yio bo ajaga
11	Darkness and Light	1946	Glover hall
12	Mr. Devil’s Money (Ayinde)	1946	Glover hall
13	Herbert Macaulay	1946	Glover hall
14	Human Parasites	1946	Glover hall
15	Towards Liberty	1947	Glover hall
16	Swing The Jazz	1947	Glover hall
17	Yours Forever (Morenike)	1948	Glover hall	Eiye Ire
18	Half and Half ( S’eranko S’ eniyan)	1949	Glover hall
19	Gold Coast Melodies	1949	Glover hall
20	Bread and Bullet	1950	Glover hall
21	My Darling Fatima	1951	Glover hall
22	Portmanteau Woman	1952	Glover hall
23	Beggar’s Love	1952	Glover hall
24	Highway Eagle	1953	Glover hall
25	Princess Jaja	1953	Glover hall
26	Village Hospital (Ile iwosan)	1957	Glover hall	Sisi Onigarawa (1956)
27	Delicate Millionaire (Olowo Ojiji)	1958	Glover hall
28	Song of Unity	1960	Glover hall	Song of Unity
29	Yoruba Ronu	1964	Glover hall	Yoruba Ronu
30	Aropin N t’ enia	1964	Glover hall	Aropin N t’ enia
31	Otito Koro	1964	Glover hall	Otito Koro
32	Awo Mimo	1965	Glover hall	Awo Mimo
33	Ire Olokun	1968	Glover hall
34	Keep Nigeria One	1968	Glover hall	Keep Nigeria One
35	Mama Eko	1968	London	Mama Eko, Iyabo
36	Obanta	1969	London	Obanta, Ogboroganluda
37	Ogun Pari	1969	London	Awon Soja wa, Ogun Pari
38	Oh Ogunde!	1969	London	Egbe Ogunde
39	Ewe Nla	1970	Glover hall	Ewe Nla
40	Iwa Gbemi	1970	Glover hall	Iwa Gbemi
41	Ayanmo	1970	Glover hall	Adesewa, Ayanmo
42	Onimoto	1970	Glover hall	Ibere ki ise onise
43	K’ ehin Sokun	1971	Obisesan Hall Ibadan
44	Aiye	1972	Glover hall	Aiye, Morenike
45	Ekun Oniwogbe	1974	Glover hall	Ekun Oniwogbe
46	Ewo Gbeja	1975	Glover hall	Ewo Gbeja
47	Muritala Mohammed	1976	Glover hall	Muritala Mohammed, Ibrahim Taiwo, Olumona, Omo Ekiti
48	Oree Niwon	1976	Ilorin
49	Nigeria	1977	Glover hall
50	Igba t’ o de	1977	Glover hall	Igba t’ o de
51	Orisa N’ la	1977	National Theatre	Orisa N’ la
52	Aiye (Film)	1979	National Theatre	Movie tracts
53	Jaiyesimi (Film)	1980	National Theatre	Movie tracts
54	Aropin N’tenia (Film)	1982	National Theatre	Movie tracts
55	Destiny (Ayanmo) Play	1986	National Theatre
56	Ayanmo (Film)	1989	National Theatre	Movie tracts

Adam and Eve (1944)

‘The Garden of Eden and the Throne of God (Adam and Eve)’ was Ogunde’ds first opera. Although the title of the opera was in English, the opera itself was in Yoruba . It was first produced on Monday 12th of June 1944 under the aspices of The Church of the Lord (Aladura), Ebute-Metta. It was described as a ‘native air opera’ under the distinguished chairmanship of Mr. Nnamdi Azikiwe M.A, M.Sc . It was co-produced by Kuyinu and it was the first ‘opera’ produced in Nigeria to add costumes, props etc. to a Nigerian opera! It was a biblical opera.

Worse than Crime (1945)

Staged in 1945 and chaired by Late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was the opera in Yoruba titled “Worse than rime’. Although the advert for the opera stated ‘Slavery in any shape or form is WORSE THAN CRIME’, it actually was saying ‘colonialism in any shape or form is worse than crime’. Ogunde and his co-producer Kuyinu were detained for two days after the first production of this play by the colonial government and only released for lack of evidence! It was the first time Ogunde will be detained. Many more were to come!.

Journey to Heaven (1945)

The opera ‘Journey to Heaven’ was first produced by Hubert Ogunde on the 30th of July 1945. As was the costum then the title of the opera was English while the opera itself was in Yoruba. It is a play about Yoruba people’s belief in predestination which says that a man’s life is determined by the type of “Ori” he chooses in heaven!.

Black Forest (1945)

The opera ‘Black Forest’ (Igbo Irunmale) was first produced 1945 at the Glover Hall, Lagos and re-produced many times later. Ogunde’s firsy opera with a Yoruba title as the opera itself. The re-production of this opera in 1950 drew rave reviews. One in the Daily Service of 10th January 1950 said among other things “in music, sceneries, lightning, costumes, presentation and make-up, The Black Forest is a credit to the composer-playwright, Mr. Ogunde, who is now generally accepted as the saviour of Native music and drama in Nigeria”.

King Solomon (1945)

The opera titled ‘King Solomon’ was first produced in 1945 at the Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos . It was produced, as was the practice at the time, under the auspices of a church society. The opera was co-produced with Kuyinu who was Ogunde’s co-producer on many of his early opera that were almost all sponsored by one church or another. The opera itself was in Yoruba.

Strike and Hunger (1946)

The opera ‘Strike and Hunger’ was Ogunde’s first ever solo production! It was first produced in 1945 in Yoruba and not sponsored by a church but in response to what was happening in the society. It is Ogunde’s first social commentary, many more would come. “It narrated the events leading to the famous general strike ‘by trade unions for better wages, cost of living allowances and improved condition of service.”. The opera was later banned in Jos, Northern Nigeria in 1946. It is this opera that first shot Ogunde into national prominence.

Herbert Macaulay (1946)

On the 8th of July 1946 , Ogunde produced the opera ‘Herbert Macaulay’ at the Glover Memorial Hall in memory of Late Herbert Macaulay a famous politician and nationalist , who had died in May of that year. Ogunde described the play as ‘an historical play in two acts’ it appers political in character. Judge for yourself! This opera was produced in Yoruba.

Operas and Plays From 1944 to 1988