Lafup Ogundipe shines bright as Sergeant Amusa in Death and the King’s Horseman

Segun Lafup Ogundipe lives and breathes theatre. Theatre is his life and he proved this last week in London when he acted in Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman. Well, he is no stranger to Soyinka’s works. As a lifelong student of the arts, he has been privileged to perform in a lot of his plays on Nigeria and Ghanaian stages and now, the UK.

The co-production by Utopia Theatre and Sheffield Theatres starred Nigerian actor and theatre maker Segun Lafup Ogundipe as Sergeant Amusa, a British colonial police officer. His delivery of the role was brilliant; the actor had the entire Crucible applauding each time he left the stage.

Segun Lafup’s stage presence and delivery not only added colour to the storytelling and performance of the play, but Segun shined through his roles as a multitalented artiste. Segun Lafup brought his expertise in comedy to play in delivering a rare, yet vivid interpretation of Sergeant Amusa—a British colonial police officer in Oyo who happens to be a converted Muslim yet respects the traditional culture and values of his Yoruba people.

The conflict of such a character, who has a high sense of duty and orders to follow as an officer, on one side, and as a proper Yoruba man, despite his religion, feels the pulse of his people to understand and respect the place of culture and tradition. Though oppressed, he understands the need to perform his role in guarding against the interference of the colonials.

His delivery of this role was refreshing; it was everything and more to expect from a multidisciplinary performer and theatre maker. If you were sitting in the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield UK through the run, you could not help but enjoy his performance of the opening song of the play. Segun Lafup Ogundipe took the entire audience to Oyo Ile with his voice and the song written by him.

Speaking with The Guardian, Segun Lafup Ogundipe explained how excited he was to collaborate as an actor and supporting artist with Utopia Theatre and Sheffield Theatres on a global stage. Bringing an epic African masterpiece such as Death and the King’s Horseman to life at The Crucible is an opportunity he will always be grateful for. When asked about what’s next for him, Oluwasegun mentioned that he will be back on the road touring UK and US theatres with his one-man play Iloya.

The performance — starring Segun Lafup Ogundipe as Makan — depicts a heart-wrenching tale of a brilliant young Nigerian, a first-class graduate of petrochemical engineering, who has to contend with challenges facing contemporary Nigeria — from job crisis to housing shortages — in the fast-paced city of Lagos.

He uses his role as Makan to redefine humour. His character, Makan, like Willy Loman, suffers hubris as result of his fabricated version of success, and unwillingness to accept help from others.

After securing a banking job in Lagos, Makan invites his girlfriend, Shade, to join him, only for her to betray his trust in ways that shatter his spirit.
Lost in the chaotic fast life of Lagos, he is conned repeatedly, and joined the ‘japa’rush – searching for the proverbial greener pasture in Europe.

In a twist of fate, the protagonist eventually lands in the UK, where he discovers that his dreams could have been realised at home. As a letter from multinational company, Shell, offering him his dream job, was hidden by shade.

The performance reaches an emotional crescendo with poignant songs for every trajectory, reminding the audience that despite the pains of the moment, there is much to laugh about.