Details

Nigerian tale of one man's stand against colonialism. 'Things Fall Apart' is the story of Okonkwo and the tragic destruction of his tribe, the Igbo. Further than this, it is a tale of two cultures in collision. The stern paternalistic traditions of a small Nigerian village with its elaborate religious rituals and harsh systems of warfare and justice are defeated by the white man's law, education and religion. The play begins and ends with the death of Okonkwo, the great warrior, and it is the crisis points of his life which give the play its elliptic structure. Punctuated by thrilling demonstrations of Nigerian drumming and wild dancing, the production sketches the comic, sometimes fraught chemistry between Okonkwo, his clan and his gods.

Creatives/Company

Author: Chinua Achebe
Company(s): West Yorkshire Playhouse, London International Festival of Theatre '97
Adapted by: B Bandele