National Troupe of Nigeria to Sustain Play Reading Session Quarterly

The Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of  National Troupe of Nigeria (NTN), Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed, has assured that the agency would sustain its ‘Play Reading Session’ by having it at least every quarter of the year.

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The event with the attendance of creme-de-la-crème of the entertainment industry, was held on Thursday at the National Arts Theatre Marquee, Iganmu, Lagos.

NTN staged the 32nd Play Reading Session of foremost Playwright, Makinde Adeniran, titled “Beggars’ Opera”.

The Play Reading Session, which is in its 32nd edition, was institutionalised in 2001 in furtherance of one of the troupe’s mandate to encourage creativity to achieve excellence in the performing arts.

The 32nd Play Reading edition includes the reading of “Beggars’ Opera”, open reading of the play and dramatisation of excerpts of the play on stage.

Ahmed said he was happy to bring back the Play Reading to the NTN, adding that the agency would ensure the revival of the session.

“Play Reading Session promotes good literary works of Nigeria across the country and beyond, it gives a good contextual feelings of the works of the playwrights.”

“Play Reading session are as important as the acting itself because it reveals the real mind of the writers.

“Play Reading also provides an expository text in works of playwright for theatre critics and experts, so that they can suggest how the play can be improved upon,” he said.

Ahmed also noted that bringing back Play Reading was part of the mandate of the agency.

“What we do is to make the writers understand the techniques of writing plays from the perspective of bringing academicians to analyse and make informed comments.”

“This is the 32nd edition, but we have not had it for the past five to six years. Now, we will strive to bring the culture back to National Troupe of Nigeria.”

“This is what we want to be seeing and it is part of the NTN budget approval. So, we hope in the year, we will ensure that we have play reading every quarter,” he added.

The play writer, Makinde, described the event as capacity building for him, adding that the exposition of the Play Reading has had its impact in the audience.

Makinde is a creative director with notable plays like, Death and the Horsemen; Who’s Afraid of Solarin; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Ajantala and Odun-Ifa, among others.

Makinde is also the current Secretary General of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP).

NAN/O.O