African Epic Tradition: Departures and Consistencies with Brecht in Soyinka’s Opera Wonyonsi, Ngugi’s I Will Marry When I Want and Osofisan’s Once upon Four Robbers

Abstract

Significant portions of what has come to be known as Brechtian style in drama no doubt features prominently in the indigenous African performance tradition. Scholars have established the affinities that exists between indigenous African performance traditions and the Brechtian performance style. Despite such affinities, critics like Crow has pointed out that the brand of Epic tradition found in Africa is “typically in complex and uneasy tension with the ‘Brechtian’ impulse.” Within the context of dire various postcolonial challenges, the continent is still grappling with, this study will be probing to what extent can these realities accommodate such “open-endedness.” Various modifications within global contexts specifically within Africa, will be rigorously engaged in select works of Wole Soyinka, Femi Osofisan and Ngugi wa’ Thiong’o. This study argues that though the need to be dialectical, open-ended in dramaturgy is crucial, but in the face of home-grown terrorism, blatant corruption of political elites, calculated attempt of politicians to impoverish the masses, these playwrights perhaps have not erred by taking a radical point of view. Even Brecht have influenced significant number of artists globally, the playwrights studied show how some of his aesthetics are already indigenous to the African society.

Keywords: Bertolt Brecht, Epic Tradition, Africa, Colonialism