When renowned UK based Theatre Company, Shakespeare Globe announced plans to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics games with a unique multilingual Shakespeare project, few people realized that Nigeria’s Wole Oguntokun and his Renegade Theatre would be one of the 38 international theatre companies that would be chosen for the six weeks theatre fiesta. Renegade theater recently organized a public audition in preparation for the Globe theatre’s plans to host all the Shakespeare plays in a single season beginning on Shakespeare’s birthday, April 23rd, 2012. Renegade theater audition took place at its Yaba office. There was a large turn out at the audition. Over a hundred people attended and it is not finished yet. According to Oguntokun, Renegade theater will be performing at the Globe theatre alongside various companies from different parts of the world who will perform all of Shakespeare’s plays in different languages as part of the celebrations, marking the Olympics Games in London. ‘‘This project is perhaps, the most daring Shakespeare project ever attempted. It builds on multilingualism, a tradition of Shakespeare production in London and a celebration of the multi-cultural identity of the city of London.’’ Says Oguntokun.
While Shakespeare’s Globe project forms part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and celebrates international cultural collaboration, the company will also celebrate its 15th birthday in at the same time. This is an example of artistic activities that have established the theatre as an indelible part of the national and international theatre landscape and welcomes hundreds of thousands of people a year from around the world to its annual summer season and a wide variety of educational projects on the theatre. Within the season, the theater company will stage one production, and leave the remaining 37 plays for the invited theatre companies from around the world. A production from one of the world’s greatest Shakespearean directors, Eimuntas Nekrošius will be staged In Lithuanian language. In Urdu language, Pakistani TV star Nadia Jamil will step on stage as Katherine in the Taming of the Shrew. In Greek, there will be a visit from the National Theatre of Greece with one of Shakespeare’s Mediterranean masterpieces. In Aboriginal languages, for the first time, a co-production of King Lear from the Malthouse Theatre and Bell Shakespeare Company will be staged.
In Maori, a new production of Troilus and Cressida starring Rawiri Paratene comes on stage. In Shona language, The Two Gentlemen of Verona will be presented by Zimbabwean actors, Denton Chikura and Tonderai Munyevu; In Turkish, a production from the immensely popular Istanbul theatre Oyun Atolyesi; In Spanish, the Madrid-based company Rakata, who specialize in work from the Spanish Golden Age will come with a production of Henry VIII; In Mandarin, a history play from the National Theatre of China; In Portuguese, the return of the celebrated Grupo Galpão from Brazil; In Italian, Cometa Off Theatre will be coming with a new production of Julius Caesar; In British Sign Language, a groundbreaking production of Love’s Labour’s Lost comes from Definitely Theatre; In Cantonese, Hong Kong director Tang Shu will be staging Titus Andronicus. In Arabic, a musical version of The Tempest emerges from Sabab Theatre. Oguntokun said, Renegade Theater is the only company that is invited from the West African sub-region. The company would stage Shakespeare’s the winter’s Tail in Yoruba language. The play, which was translated by Ayotade Ipadeola, will answer to the directorial skills of Oguntokun. ‘‘Every company will perform a play in one day. There are companies from South Africa, Indian, South Sudan, Germany, and many others. There are only five theatre companies from Africa and we are the only one from Nigeria. This is a great honour for all of us,’’ he said.
Oguntokun’s Renegade theatre began in1998 when he staged "Who's Afraid of Wole Soyinka?", which criticized the Nigerian Military in government.
He produced and directed the play at the University of Lagos' Arts Theatre. He was a pioneer of the "Theatre@Terra project which regularly stage Nigerian plays at the Terre Kulture arts center in Victoria Island, Lagos
Oguntokun is one of Nigeria's most consistent theatre activists with plays being produced every Sunday at the venue. He has produced and directed numerous plays by many of Nigeria's best-known playwrights including Wole Soyinka's (Kongi's Harvest, Madmen & Specialists, The Lion and the Jewel, The Swamp Dwellers, Death and the King's Horseman, The Strong Breed, Childe International, Cam wood on the Leaves, The Jero Plays); Femi Osofisan's Morountodun, Once Upon Four Robbers, The Engagement, The Inspector and the Hero; Professor Ola Rotimi's The Gods are not to Blame; Zulu Sofola's King Emene, Wedlock of the gods, Wizard of Law as well as Athol Fugard's Sizwe Banzi is Dead. Renegade theater will also be performing at FESTINA, the yearly festival of theatre, which is organized by National association of Theatre Arts Practitioners
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