06 Nov 2009 Progres’ is a stage play inspired by the literary works of the revered Ogoni writer, community leader and political activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. It will debut at the Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial Dinner hosted by the Ogoni Solidarity Forum at Community House, Salt River on 10 November 2009.

A prolific writer of fiction, poetry, a regular newspaper columnist outspoken commentator, Ken Saro-Wiwa became the first leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) founded in 1992. Soon after the Ogoni people began to stage mass protests against the corrupt Nigerian government that had colluded with Royal Dutch Shell to cause environmental and economic devastation in Ogoniland and the Niger Delta as a whole. Over the following years the situation deteriorated rapidly as the Nigerian military regime targeted Ogoni and its leaders. A period of severe repression by the Abacha regime culminated in the arrest of Ken-Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders on trumped up charges. Despite international outrage, they were sentenced to death on 31 October 1995 and tragically executed on 10 November of the same year.

Progres’ is at once a celebration of Saro-Wiwa’s literary talents and a commemoration of his martyrdom. Writer/Director team of Michael Wentworth (photo right) and Tauriq Jenkins (photo below left), inspired by Saro-Wiwa’s  book Forest of Flowers, his poetry and biographical details from his life, have created a dramatic narrative set in a fictional village called Dukana. The storyline concerns an educated young lady called Maria who returns to impart her skills to her native village. She also happens to be the wife the deceased Beeson (Ken Saro-Wiwa’s actual nickname). Through interaction with a set of characters from the village and her burning quest for justice, unfolds the story of Ken-Saro-Wiwa’s footsteps towards the Gallows. Progres’ the character is the personification of the truck that transports Maria home and the moniker itself is meant to signify the continual perpetuation of the catastrophic situation in Ogoniland and the Niger Delta today.

The cast of Keenan Herman, Monique Rockman, Lee Roodt and Ema Lee Atkins are all students of the Independent Theatre Movement of South Africa. Tauriq Jenkins, founding Director of the ITMSA also performs. Wentworth and Jenkins have utilized the traditions of Greek Classical Theatre which, says Jenkins, is suited to the heightened style of Saro-Wiwa’s writing and also enabled them to craft a production that is highly mobile and adaptable.  Progres’ is a play aimed at creating awareness about the Ogoni struggle, but, says director Wentworth, it also speaks to the collective identity of Africans and is aimed at addressing intolerance, ignorance and the ill-conceived stereotypes that can lead to Xenophobia.

Michael Wentworth is a playwright and cultural activist from Cape Town. One of his recent plays “Waiting’ premiered at the 2008 National Arts Festival and, amongst others, he has produced an adaptation of Can Themba’s ‘The Suit’ as well as the pop opera ‘Tarong – a place to dream’. He has written for television and screen and has numerous short stories and poems published in various anthologies and compilations.

Tauriq Jenkins is the founding Director of the Independent Theatre Movement of South Africa. He works as a freelance actor, directs and writes.