By CHRIS ONUOHA

Stepping into octogenarian fold with grace is a  journey worth celebrating. For Uncle Fred Agbeyegbe whose 80th birthday berthed some kind of theatrical carnival brings to fore a rethink – the style in which deceased are celebrated opulently, instead of luxuriant cascades for living legends. However, both deserves eulogies to inspire success quest in living beings.

For the foremost playwright with many works to his credit, it  is an encomium well desevered as he was celebrated amidst other activities.  Two of his plays ‘Conflict Resolution and My Grandfather’s Ghost’, featured during the carnival at the Cinema Hall 1,National Art Theatre, Lagos on July 22, 2015.

The eve of the day heralds the world premiere of the play, “My Grandfather’s ghost”.  A theatrical rendition of man’s predestined life that evolves the terrestrial and ephemeral setting – that our fate has been ordained before we are born and having believe that even otherwise, we can change rules, culminates into the unstoppable going after the immovable.

It’s a highly electrified culture display of the Niger Delta descent, ‘Itsekiri’ precisely. The play was  produced by the Ajo Theatre Group, Uncle Fred’s theatre   outfit and was directed by Muyiwa Osinaike. The 34 man cast featured Paul Adams as Great One/King, Nissi George as Holy Ghost/Megbuya, Gabriel Isong as Jesus/Ibrirkimo, Pius Amulo as Mauhammed/Igbasala, Michael Okorie as King Eyisan, Burvey Obi Abiejue as Ologban, Victor Coker as Lucifer/Gbuwa and Ossy Uzondu as Madwoman among others.

In the play, the plot  showed  that it is difficult to change what fate has predestinated. Seeing that the death of a king demands  a need for a successor, the consultations and intrigues associated with such selection results in many tussles, both dialogue and battles which may or may not profer solution. Perhaps, the mentally challenged in the society (Mad people) that we often looked with disdain, even when their spirited opinion is mysteriously true, tends to portend how myopic man’s mind can be.

Following the scene, a prince returned from sojourn in the Whiteman’s land, joined his half brothers in the duel to possess the throne. Repeatedly, the madwoman announced the intricacies of such bloodbath that it would not produce the right king. Undaunted, the prince meticulously tricked the first contending duo who fought with blunt  edged dagger, while he eventually hacked his opponent down with sharp edged knife and finally clinch the throne – the resultant prize which is childlessness. Then, the grandfather’s ghost appeared in his dream and spilled the beans, that he will not produce an heir to the assumed usurped throne.

The essence of such presentation is man’s ingratiating quest for power in the eyes of the unsuspecting populace, even when the truth is glaring. In the society today, many progressive agendas have been buried because the autocrats usurped and regress wheel of progress.

Many dignitaries including renowned thespians were present and really commented not only on the play but Fred Agbeyegbe’s ingenuity both in law practice and theatre.

Among them, was the famous Television personality Albert Egbe, lead actor in the rested “Basi and Company” drama series in the NTA National programme. “For me, I would say there’s no lawyer who has written books as much as he’s done and also practiced law much like he’s done. He is a man that believes in justice and fair play and he believe people should not be downtrodden but should get their right even in his plays.”

Albert whose wife, also an actress in her own right, that  played the role of Bola’s mother in ‘Jacob’s Cross’  said we have great regards for Uncle Fred as he is fondly called. “Actually we have been in theatre and television for a long time and we are moving on to film production, along the line of Uncle Fred’s works. We want to wish him what the Irish wish their elders – I want to wish him to live as long as he wants and may he never want as long as he lives”.

Another great Thespian  Odia ofeimun said “A man at 80, a businessman, a lawyer who wish to authenticate himself as a dramatist on his 80th birthday is giving all of us in the theatre a challenge. By that, I mean not to abandon the tradition which in my view has a lot of meaning for the way society ever get better.  It is wonderful that, that’s how he has chosen to celebrate. The whole world may abandon the art; artistes should not abandon their own.