Onuoha’s Prison Chronicles: An interrogation of societal ills

Emmanuel Goldstein, a fictional character in George Orwell’s novel titled, 1984, said: “The primary obligation of any prisoner is to escape. Whether that means actually leaving or simply figuring out a way to handle things so you don’t go crazy is up to you.”

A scene from the play

Presented at the Terra Kulture courtyard, the play, an Austine Onuoha’s adaptation of Wole Oguntokun’s The Prison Chronicles, brings to life the ordeal of four young men caught in the web of injustice, inhumane conditions and family love.

Directed by Onuoha, starring Warder (Kelvin Mary Ndukwe), Mrs Warder (Bunmi Sogade), Kamoru (Ikponmwosa Gold), Kamal (Patrick Dante), Kalis (Stanley Okeke) and Anjola (Chibuikem Chris), the play depicts how each inmate in Cell Block B has something in common — injustice — and are angry about the situation. They dream of better and properly organised institutions to move the country forward.

Anjola, a 23-year-old man, is in jail for accidentally murdering a man that wants to evict his mother and siblings from their rented apartment. He killed the man while trying to protect his loved ones.

Kalis is a petty fraudster, who is struggling to make ends meet. With the nation’s rapidly worsening economy he becomes the lord of the streets and gets into different crimes.

Kamoru is a police officer that has used his position to enrich himself; he engaged in shady deals as an officer of the law, which actually makes him a victim of the situation he is fighting against.

Kamal, the fourth in the cell, is a banker. He is wrongly accused of fraud and jailed after a doubtful trial. This makes him lose trust in the institution created to save and serve the citizens.

Despite trying to make life worth the while in their trying situations, the four characters thrill themselves with songs and dances. They tag the cell heartbreak hotel, saying it is a place where destinies are tied to the wishes and aspirations of the warder and his wife.

However, as things unfold, the inmates reflect on their actions and wish to be given a second chance to correct their wrongs and reconnect to their loved ones. However, while the three have a broken and a contrite hearts, Anjola realises that there is not much for a man on death sentence to dream off and he plans for a jailbreak.

Using the prison as a personification of Nigeria, a country with abundant human and natural resources, but poorly managed, the play shows how corruption has become the order of the day and every mindful and patriotic citizen dreams of an overhaul of the system. It also reveals how every government officer is exploiting people, using their offices to their own advantage.

Using comedy to showcase the horrors of prison life, the incurable corruption ongoing in the Nigerian judicial system and the lackadaisical way government authorities handle human lives, the play tells how the inmates, victims of societal rot, dream of freedom.

The warder and his wife symbolise how the leaders treat the leaders, those that elected them into public offices and pay them with their taxes. Yet, they care less about welfare and the infrastructure to make life worth a living.

The escapees denote Nigerians, especially the active youths leaving the country for greener Pasteur abroad, not minding the challenges that await them there.

Although performed in an unconventional setting, the director skillfully situates prison cells, aside from creating a situation where the audience is part of the cast and contributes to the storyline, there’s an opportunity for call-and-response, where the audience has a direct feel and mingle with the characters. The background music is apt, while the stage allows left-to-right movement that enhanced comprehension.

Running through the Easter break and at the same venue, the choice of venue and space further bring a new form of minimalism to theatre. It cuts costs of props, lighting and the like, aside from allowing the audience to breathe into the play.