The play, Aribisala: Story of an Outlander, written by Abiodun Adewole (2022, Double A Exclusive Media, Ibadan), rides on the theme of redemption. The play is the brainchild of a popular journalist, human interest reporter and movie producer.
The play, Aribisala, opens with an altercation between Adisa, a wealthy cocoa farmer, and Chief Aroni, a land grabber.
In the end, the land grabber gets the upper hand, after he successfully kills Adisa. Then one tragic event leads to another in Ayetoro town, with its attendant confusion and collective frustration. So the townspeople gather at the palace of their king to deliberate on the disheartening occurrences and seek out drastic actions to mitigate the looming trouble.
On the order of the king, the oracle is consulted to know the cause of all the tragic events in the town, as is customary of the traditions of the pre-colonial and post-colonial Yoruba land. The consultation is not only to know the cause and what to do to appease the gods of the land. And the oracle demands that blood will be required for the cleansing of the land. For the oracle, a stranger’s blood is the propitiation acceptable. The blood of an outlander. The blood of the innocent.
But the oracle’s demand is quite confounding for the king. Oba Adedayo, the king of Ayetoro is in a dilemma. For him, it is unjust to shed the blood of the innocent to purchase the freedom of the unjust. It is unfathomable that the sin of the people and the atrocities of the land will have to be cleansed by the innocent. But the order goes out that it must be done.
In a dramatic twist of events, a stranger passing through Ayetoro is apprehended. On being interrogated by Oba Adebayo, some strange revelations are discovered. But the sacrifice must be made.
Aribisala is a story of rescue, succour and redemption by the innocent, who provides himself as the propitiation for the atrocities of a people. It is the story of a brutish people – envious murderers – in urgent need of a saviour.
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In the play therefore, Brother David and Brother Elijah are sent as couriers with a mission to deliver the message of this saviour to Akekaka village. They tell a moving story of Aribisala, the propitiation, and bringer of life. Aribisala is a metaphor. It is a fitting metaphor of rescue, succour, redemption and propitiation.
The play, Aribisala: Story of an Outlander is a potent tool for evangelism, and it is at the very heart of the Great Commission, the whole essence of the Christian faith. However, it is a fitting piece of art for the general book loving public.
The playwright has here demonstrated deep knowledge of the scriptures, and his sharp, compelling storytelling prowess has been deployed to great effect, in weaving his thematic concern into our everyday life. And in fact, the play is simply relatable. The playwright creatively deployed a large dose of suspense in the play to the extent that he literally held me by the hand and led me to willingly and expectantly turn page after page of the work.
The author fully understands the Yoruba culture, its cosmology, and the nuances of the language, and he shows that in the rendition of his extensive dialogues in the play. This work is a culture-compliant play, and one which entertains, enlightens, educates, and ultimately liberates.
. Olatunbosun is a broadcast journalist, fact checker and book reviewer at Splash FM 105.5, Ibadan. He can be reached via 08023517565 (SMS only) and [email protected].
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