Waterside’s Evocative Stance on Environmental Pollution, Totemism

Yinka Olatunbosun

It was an emotionally soaking moment at the Kininso Koncepts Hub in Ikeja when the stage play titled “Waterside” written and directed by Joshua Alabi was performed for a handful of culture journalists in Lagos. The play, largely experimental, is developed along the two-hander technique of characterisation employed by the famed South African playwright, Athol Fugard.

The two-man play is set in Old Bendel state, revolving around a series of past events, places and people. Exploring cultural memory, the play is an unconventional one that is heavy on dialogue. This live and digital theatre project produced by Angela Peters features Moshood Fattah from the Far from Home Television series and Stanley Okeke.

The story in Waterside is told from the perspective of two main characters, one living and the other dead. Two friends, Osarume and Oghenovo who grew up under the same roof as brothers have killed a chicken which turns out to be the totem of Pa Barclays, a community elder. The man has died and his family will stop at nothing until the culprits die of the same fate as their Father.

Indeed, Waterside shows the sad consequences that arise from ignorance of the culture and tradition of a community. Growing up in a Christian family, Mama did not teach the two boys enough about the culture. The day difficult choice of sacrificing a child teaches a great lesson

Performed with high level of professionalism, this play unravels the culture of totemism and taboos, plagues in the Niger Delta, and the significance of culture, family, memories, and dreams, delving into historical issues of oil exploitation and struggles of Nigerian Youth –
Unemployment. Waterside is a social commentary tacking poverty, corruption occasioned by oil companies’ intervention in the Niger Delta region.

Slipping in and out characters is one of the most demanding part of delivering as an actor in Waterside. The director, Joshua Alabi revealed how Waterside is a product of his personal experience during a chat after a preview of the drama in Lagos.

“I wrote Waterside in 2021 because I wanted to tell a different story on the Nigerian stage,” the director, Joshua Alabi recounted. “I have noticed that the 21st century writers in this part of the world are not writing for the theatre and we are not experimenting. We’re not thinking innovation and research as much as we should. We wanted to tell a period story that will focus on the culture of taboos and totemism. We later found out that this is not just a phenomenon in Africa.

“People can watch Waterside online after the live shows end. The online streaming will require a little token to watch. Digital audience can also watch other plays that we have done such as “Sniper,” “Talk&Do” and others.”

Joshua Alabi is a phenomenal director, writer, concept creator, creative strategist who uses storytelling to create exceptional stories. Hot on the heels of two international awards this year from Germany and the Netherlands, his company, Kininso Koncepts continues to showcase its commitment to excellence and innovation in the world of theatre, media and film.

With Waterside, Kininso-Koncepts reaffirms its status as a creative and cultural hub that aims to inspire greatness and make meaningful statements through storytelling and in-depth research on our culture and traditions.

Using unique storytelling performance style that not only entertains, informs and educates Waterside challenges and transforms the intellectual, social and cultural perspectives of our communities.