Guild of Theatre Arts Drummers to stage “Echoes of the Drums”

The Guild of Threatre Arts Drummers (GOTHAD) is set to stage the “Echoes of the Drums”, a play written by Ola Awakan, in commemoration of the World Drummers’  Day, on April 4, in Abuja.

The play is centred around the need to embrace love, unity and explore the nation’s cultural diversities.

Awakan disclosed this on Saturday in Lagos during the presentation of a preview for the stage production of the play.

He said that Nigerians must realise the importance of drumming to nation-building.

According to him, drumming allows for tourism development, cultural renewal, drum education, development of unity, harmony and peace as well as encouraging communal living.

He said that First Lady Oluremi Tinubu would be the special guest of honour at the  World Drummers Day commemoration.

According to him, the ceremony will also feature the launch of the book which has been finally published.

“The play will be exhibited at the National Universities Commission and the book will be reviewed by Dr Shaibu Husseini, Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB).

“The book is an attempt to make people realise that drums are beyond what people feel they are, drums have inherent spirit in them.

“The book was written in 2005, it won a prize in 2015 and in 2021 an excerpt of it was performed by GOTHAD, which was the first time the play went on stage. In 2022, the National Troupe of Nigeria produced the play in commemoration of the 62nd independence of Nigeria.

“After the play is staged, I will embark on what I call “global drumication”, which I coined to educate Nigerians on how drums can be veritable means of communication. So, we will be taking the play to Nigerian universities.

“I intend to use the book for drum education because I observed that the power, potency and significance of drums have not been explored.

“I will also have the book in movies and later in animation form,” he said.

Isioma Williams, Director of the play, who is also the National Coordinator of GOTHAD,  assured Nigerians of an exciting presentation as the crew would be delivering above people’s expectation.

“The history of World Drummer’s Day can be traced back to more than a decade ago, in 2013, when it was founded by Christian Schages.

“Schages is a personal friend, a professional drum teacher with his own drumming school located in Germany.

“We will have over 20 drummers moved from Lagos to Abuja to stage the play,” he said.

One of the cast in the play, Seun Awobajo, Creative Director of Footprints of David, said that the crew had been on the play for over  three years.

He said it was fascinating for him to see a single play touch on all aspects of nation building.

He noted that in line with the theme for the World Drummers Day for the year,  “Let Music And Rhythm Rule The World”, GOTHAD considers it neccesary to stage the play to expose Nigerians  to the rhythm of drums and its essence.