ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Dele Charley was born in Sierra Leone on 27th March, 1948. His full name is Mr Raymond Caleb Ayodele. He wrote in English language and krio language. He obtained his Master Degree in Theatre Arts in Leads University, London. This play was performed in Nigeria during Festac 1977 Festival of African Arts and Culture in Lagos State. It won the award for the best play.
PLOT OF THE PLAY
The Blood of a Stranger is an interesting drama about the people of a fictional Sierra Leone village called Manda. The play begins with a secret meeting in a cave between Maligu and Soko. Maligu is the chief adviser to the King and Soko is the village Chief priest.
Maligu had just received a letter from his brother informing him about the coming of a stranger who is a whiteman to their village to operate tobacco farm. His brother said that the stranger's coming will make them rich. Now the problem is that they have been warned by their gods not to allow strangers into their village as this would bring calamity on them. So, in order to make the people welcome this stranger, Maligu wants Soko to deceive the king and the people of Manda into accepting the stranger as the will of the gods.
Dele Charley was born in Sierra Leone on 27th March, 1948. His full name is Mr Raymond Caleb Ayodele. He wrote in English language and krio language. He obtained his Master Degree in Theatre Arts in Leads University, London. This play was performed in Nigeria during Festac 1977 Festival of African Arts and Culture in Lagos State. It won the award for the best play.
PLOT OF THE PLAY
The Blood of a Stranger is an interesting drama about the people of a fictional Sierra Leone village called Manda. The play begins with a secret meeting in a cave between Maligu and Soko. Maligu is the chief adviser to the King and Soko is the village Chief priest.
Maligu had just received a letter from his brother informing him about the coming of a stranger who is a whiteman to their village to operate tobacco farm. His brother said that the stranger's coming will make them rich. Now the problem is that they have been warned by their gods not to allow strangers into their village as this would bring calamity on them. So, in order to make the people welcome this stranger, Maligu wants Soko to deceive the king and the people of Manda into accepting the stranger as the will of the gods.
This is an act of pure greed. This is because Maligu is someone that is trusted by the king. He is an adviser to the king. He is supposed to work for the good of his community but on mere promise of personal enrichment, he devices a means of betraying his own people.
Soko is reluctant at first to accept such task but on realising that Maligu is aware of his secret that he does not sleep in the cave at night as their custom stipulates but sneaks out to sleep in a cozy Hut in the forest. In addition to the promise that the stranger's coming will make him rich to take care of himself and his family, he conceds.
Soko is reluctant at first to accept such task but on realising that Maligu is aware of his secret that he does not sleep in the cave at night as their custom stipulates but sneaks out to sleep in a cozy Hut in the forest. In addition to the promise that the stranger's coming will make him rich to take care of himself and his family, he conceds.
This is another act of pure greed. Solo who is supposed to preserve the integrity of the community, sold out his conscience for mere promise of wealth.
Also in the play is Kindo the village Chief warrior and eldest son of the king who is the heir aparant to the throne and beautiful Wara his woman. There is no love lost between Kindo and Maligu. Kindo does not trust Maligu and Soko. So when Maligu announces to the King and people of Manda that he had a dream from their gods instructing the people to welcome a stranger that is coming to their village and make a sacrifice of a young virgin girl who is a stranger, Kindo challenges him.
He wants to understand how the same gods that told them not to welcome strangers would change and ask them to do so. His father Santigi would not hear him because he believes strongly in the gods and he believes their mouth piece Soko.
So the king orders Kindo to make arrangements to welcome the stranger while Soko is to make arrangements for the sacrifice.
The stranger, a whiteman called Whitehead finally arrives but refuses to go and formally introduce himself to the King as customary. After waiting for two days, the king asks about him and Kindo orders his guards to go and bring him to the palace. His guards brings the drunken Whitehead along with his assistant a blackman called Parker to the King.
Parker was stripped and flogged because he is a blackman and should have come to greet the King as their custom demands. While Whitehead was made to kiss the ground.
After this, Whitehead intensifies his plan with Maligu to get rid of Kindo. He gives Maligu money to buy strong tobacco and gin for the villagers so they would be too drunk and won't put up any resistance to him. This makes the people so lose that they lost their self control and were misbehaving. He gives Maligu money to get Wara for him.
When Kindo sees these atrocities, he confronts Whitehead who denies doing any wrong. Whitehead tries to rape Wara but fails. Soko having realised that Whitehead was evil helps Wara to escape and withdraws from following Whitehead.
Whitehead and Maligu goes to see the king to solicit that the king ask the villagers to work hard on his tobacco farm to enable him fulfill the promises he made to them.
He also confides in Maligu his true purpose for coming to their village. It is to make the people pick diamonds for him in the pretense of farming tobacco.
Whitehead plans with Maligu to keep the king busy while Parker goes to the shrine to kill Soko for fear that Soko would reveal their secret to Kindo and he (Whitehead) would be driven out of the village before he actualises his mission.
So Parker kills Soko and Kindo kills Parker.
On the day of the sacrifice, Maligu disguises as the chief priest to offer sacrifice. Kindo exposes him but he is outwitted by Maligu and Whitehead who convince the king to banish Kindo for killing during peace week. Just before he leaves, Kindo resolves to kill Whitehead but Whitehead hauls himself to Kindo's spear and falls beside Parker on the sacrifice stone.
London leaves with his guards with the promise to return and take the throne at the demise of his father the king.
What do you think about this play?
Also in the play is Kindo the village Chief warrior and eldest son of the king who is the heir aparant to the throne and beautiful Wara his woman. There is no love lost between Kindo and Maligu. Kindo does not trust Maligu and Soko. So when Maligu announces to the King and people of Manda that he had a dream from their gods instructing the people to welcome a stranger that is coming to their village and make a sacrifice of a young virgin girl who is a stranger, Kindo challenges him.
He wants to understand how the same gods that told them not to welcome strangers would change and ask them to do so. His father Santigi would not hear him because he believes strongly in the gods and he believes their mouth piece Soko.
So the king orders Kindo to make arrangements to welcome the stranger while Soko is to make arrangements for the sacrifice.
The stranger, a whiteman called Whitehead finally arrives but refuses to go and formally introduce himself to the King as customary. After waiting for two days, the king asks about him and Kindo orders his guards to go and bring him to the palace. His guards brings the drunken Whitehead along with his assistant a blackman called Parker to the King.
Parker was stripped and flogged because he is a blackman and should have come to greet the King as their custom demands. While Whitehead was made to kiss the ground.
After this, Whitehead intensifies his plan with Maligu to get rid of Kindo. He gives Maligu money to buy strong tobacco and gin for the villagers so they would be too drunk and won't put up any resistance to him. This makes the people so lose that they lost their self control and were misbehaving. He gives Maligu money to get Wara for him.
When Kindo sees these atrocities, he confronts Whitehead who denies doing any wrong. Whitehead tries to rape Wara but fails. Soko having realised that Whitehead was evil helps Wara to escape and withdraws from following Whitehead.
Whitehead and Maligu goes to see the king to solicit that the king ask the villagers to work hard on his tobacco farm to enable him fulfill the promises he made to them.
He also confides in Maligu his true purpose for coming to their village. It is to make the people pick diamonds for him in the pretense of farming tobacco.
Whitehead plans with Maligu to keep the king busy while Parker goes to the shrine to kill Soko for fear that Soko would reveal their secret to Kindo and he (Whitehead) would be driven out of the village before he actualises his mission.
So Parker kills Soko and Kindo kills Parker.
On the day of the sacrifice, Maligu disguises as the chief priest to offer sacrifice. Kindo exposes him but he is outwitted by Maligu and Whitehead who convince the king to banish Kindo for killing during peace week. Just before he leaves, Kindo resolves to kill Whitehead but Whitehead hauls himself to Kindo's spear and falls beside Parker on the sacrifice stone.
London leaves with his guards with the promise to return and take the throne at the demise of his father the king.
What do you think about this play?
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