On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed the will that bequeathed the Nobel Prize, the highest honour attainable by any man on earth, to the world. This will was signed at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris. It reads as follows:
“The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way: the capital, invested in safe securities by my executors shall constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those, who during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind. The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery or invention within the field of physics; one part to the person who shall have made the most important chemical discovery or improvement; one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine; one part to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction; and one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses. The prizes for physics and chemistry shall be awarded by the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, and that of champions of peace by a committee of five persons to be elected by the Norwegian Storting. It is my express wish that in awarding the prizes no consideration be given to the nationality of the candidates, but that the most worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be Scandinavian or not.”
It is from the field of literature that the man who initiates the celebration of Alfred Nobel hails. The man, Toyin Abiodun, Runner-Up Award Winner of the 2014 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa, celebrates Alfred Nobel 119years after he signed the will that instituted the Nobel. Abiodun puts his newest play, ‘Princess Ruka and the Bachelor Kings’, on stage at the Arts Theatre of of the University of Ibadan in Nigeria using a production cast and crew that is one of the biggest ever used for any play in Africa. Made up of 50 Actors, 32 Dancers, and 43 Production Crew members, it is no wonder that the resulting play is a masterpiece in stage play production. The opening performance, anchored by Nigeria’s Number One Ace Radio Presenter, Dan Foster, was also attended by Nelson Fashina, (a professor of Literature) who as Guest Speaker, described the playwright as a writer deserving of the Nobel Prize!
According to Abiodun, “What we celebrate all the time is the recipient of the Nobel Prize, not the man who instituted the Prize!”. Abiodun goes further to explain that the Nobel Prize, apart from being the highest honour any human being can be awarded, is also the strongest and greatest positive motivating force on earth. The significance of this resides in the need for us as human beings to always strive to make the world a better place via the goodness we make for the benefit and advancement of man.
It is in honour of this great man, who has created for all of us earthlings the greatest motivating force the earth has ever known to ensure the continuing endeavour of mankind in his quest for excellence and the survival of self and goodness that Blackhouse Theatre puts up what turned out to be a brilliant performance of ‘Princess Ruka and the Bachelor Kings’.
Princess Ruka and the Bachelor Kings is the story of the Kingdom of Gineria whose people are living in near-abject poverty. The hope of salvation comes in the person of Princess Ruka, a bridal-virgin spirit who had been raised by mermaids and dolphins in the subterranean kingdom of Axtlanticos where she had come into such great wealth as can never finish! Prince Shutnose, in his bid to win the hand of Ruka in marriage, so that he will come into endless riches and thus be able to cater for his poverty-stricken people of Gineria, prepares to risk his life in a do-or-die duel with the brawl-loving Prince Lungnose for the hand of Ruka. But the timid father of Prince Shutnose, King Softie, would not hear of it; even though Shutnose’s mother, Queen Toffie, insists that Prince Shutnose must fight for the hand of Ruka regardless of what the outcome may be!
Very rich in entertainment aesthetics of African, Arabian, and European songs, dances, music, and action, this inspiring play, a radical diversion from the typical traditional African play, is Directed by Abiodun Akinsiku assisted by Choreographer Floyd Igbo, Costumier Remi Adeyalo, Stage Manager Joshua Ajiboye, Make-Up Artiste Bamidele Itunu, Light Designer Adeagbo Feranmi, Music Director Paul Onwuka and Production Manager Femi Omole. Supported by Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan and Wine-ng.com, the performance of ‘Princess Ruka and the Bachelor Kings’ is a voted as a classic act being awaited on the world theatre stage. Ace Radio Presenter Dan Foster lends credence to this as he now wants the play to be performed in Lagos theatres. The accolades which came in droves do not come as too much of a surprise since the playwright, Toyin Abiodun — himself, is Runner-Up of the 2014 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa and has a No. 15 rating amongst the “Top 100 Playwrights of the World” and “Top 100 Dramatists of All Time” !
With this beginning, Abiodun has now initiated this as an annual ceremony for the purpose of celebrating the person of Alfred Nobel, a great man who saw beyond race, color, creed, religion, nationality, gender, or consanguinity to honour the world in the way that he had done.
“The legacy of Alfred Nobel shall remain for all of us an evergreen ever-glistering treasure that can know neither rust nor end”, the playwright tells Afrika Market.
It is instructive to note that the family of Alfred Nobel and his own appointed executors of his will who were saddled with the responsibility of awarding the prize initially refused to comply with the content and sense of the will after Alfred Nobel himself was gathered to his ancestors in 1896: hence the first Nobel Prize was not awarded until 1901.
But today, we know the history of the prize Alfred Nobel left us as an ongoing annual award, the highest honour any man or woman can receive in his lifetime.
“It is for this reason that we have decided to institute an annual celebration of Alfred Nobel himself to commence on every November 27th of every year, notwithstanding that that day may fall on any public or private holiday, for the purpose of celebrating Alfred Nobel through ONLY the staging of plays and the playing of music in the Arts Theatre and the Institute of African Studies of this University or any other University or place in Nigeria favoured by the administering organizers of this annual celebration for a period not exceeding a week”, Abiodun continues.
“In the same spirit with which Alfred Nobel instituted the Nobel Prize, this celebration is fashioned to be attended by any persons of any nationality, race, gender, religion, language or socio-political persuasion whatsoever.
So help us God.”
Wine-ng.com an online wine retailing store stage their presence with presentation of wines to the Actors and crews of ‘Princess Ruka and the Bachelor kings’ while Dan Foster and Professor Fashina appraised the wine-ng.com as a noble idea for the development of Africa economy.
FRENCH VERSION
Très riche en esthétique de divertissement de chansons africaines,arabe et européenne, danses, musique et action, ce jeu inspirant,une dérivation radicale d’après la pièce africaine traditionnelletypique, est réalisé par Abiodun Akinsiku assisté de chorégrapheFloyd Igbo, tailleur Remi Adeyalo, régisseur Joshua Ajiboye, Make-Up Artiste baye mouad, Light Designer Adeagbo Monique,directeur musical Paul Onwuka et directeur de Production FemiOmole. Pris en charge par le département des Arts de la scène,Université d’Ibadan et vin-ng.com, la performance de
