My Royal Court experience

My Royal Court experience

Over two years ago, on 22nd February, 2007 at the book launch of my play ‘The War in The Sky’, I received a phone call from The British Council Lagos Nigeria. An invitation to be one of the twelve playwrights selected from all over Nigeria for THE NEW WRITING PROJECT, sponsored by The British Council Nigeria and The Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, UK. I could not contain my excitement and still cant.
During this time I developed a play ‘Where her loyalty lies’ working with the creative team from The Royal Court Theatre: Playwright Leo Butler, Directors’ Elyse Dodgson, Hettie Mcdonald, Clare Lizzimore and |Associate Director Ramin Gray.
As the project came to a halt after a little more than two fruitful years of intense play development; twelve fantastic new plays from all twelve writers were finished.
All twelve playwrights were encouraged by The Royal Court Theatre to come up with fresh new plays that would be staged in the UK.
I submitted my new play titled ‘The Worms Under His Feet’ and was fortunate to be one of the five playwrights selected. Interactive play development commenced until the first draft of all five plays was finished. Schedules were arranged, and excerpts from all five plays were to be staged.
A week long workshop packaged by The Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, UK with creative interactions, discussions and exchange was scheduled with British-Nigerian playwrights and Directors in the United Kingdom.
On the 25th of October 2009, we arrived at Heathrow airport and were whisked to the Sloane Square UK. The first grand news we got was that our tickets had sold out as London was dying to see what we Nigerian writers had to offer.
At the workshop, I worked with my personal director Sacha Wares who was very open minded and interested in the mind set of Nigerians. She was dedicated to delivering our true form, mannerism and identity to the audience; her years of experience and input shed light and showed me the synergy the director and writer forms when working together. Throughout the week, we had interactive sessions with Literary Directors, Artistic Directors, Literary Manager, the Royal Court team who shared with us how for over 100 years they have evolved into a strong creative force in theatre.
We watched ‘ENRON’, at The Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, Jerwood Theatre downstairs, a mind blowing play written by Lucy Prebble, a creative piece that merged the crash of the company Enron with life and capitalism. Also at The Tricycle Kilburn, London, we watched ‘Category B’ written by Roy Williams, a deep play, addressing loyalty within the confines of a cell and family. These plays addressed life through different platforms and captivated the audience with attributes which every writer strives to weave into their writing.
Our plays were rehearsed by the best actors in the business from stage and television, interestingly; there were a lot of Nigerians, Ghanaians, Gambians, a blend of African, West Indies, British and American performers making the event the biggest to merge Africans in Diaspora in the UK in a long time.
On Saturday, 31 October, by 4pm at The Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, Jerwood Theatre upstairs the theatre quickly filled up and all five of us playwrights were introduced to the audience.
Presentations of excerpts from the five plays were show cased; the first play staged was mine ‘The Worms Under His Feet’; I was thrilled to hear the audience laugh at the jokes and gasp at the shocking revelations I had weaved into the play. My director Sacha Wares and the actors Nikki Amuka-Bird, Osi Okereafor, Richard Pebble, Mo Sesay and Ellen Thomas were brilliant and applauds’ from the audience filled me up with great satisfaction and reminded me that I was truly getting across the desired message to an appreciative audience.
Immediately after the excerpts, an interactive panel discussion on the state of new writing in Nigeria and the impact of emerging wave of third generation British Nigerian theatre artists commenced.
There were many issues raised concerning the state of stage plays in Nigeria and the challenges we as playwrights faced. Interestingly, the challenges were similar to the challenges facing Nigeria. This is the need to put in place structures and systems that would outlive the current governing body. And a need to have in-place a steady working maintenance culture designed to produce profit and customer satisfaction.
When all was said and done the audience gave each of us a mantle, a creed; reminding us that we are ambassadors of our great country Nigeria a window into our great continent Africa.
As a young Nigerian writer, I wrote first for the Nigerian audience; what The Royal Court Theatre has been able to do for me is give me a rich educative experience and creative exposure which has reflected in my writing. My work now has more international appeal whilst still maintaining the true African nature that takes the readers into our unique African world.
The experience is one I could have paid top dollar for, but this opportunity was given to me because I wrote a play titled ‘The War In The Sky’. Whatever you write I hope you are encouraged to get it out there and give back to the world at large.
I would also like to thank The British Council Nigeria and The Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, UK for giving me this wonderful opportunity and would like to use this medium to encourage Nigerians, Africans, to support literary works because history outlives generations and to support literature is to support and keep alive the African voice.
The world is dying to hear our story.
Thank you.

Adebusola Elegbede