Lion and the Jewel, The
By Wole Soyinka
Year staged: 1966
Opening night: 12/12/1966
Theatre Company: The Ijinle Theatre Company
Staged in: Royal Court Theatre
Cast Size: 17
Synopsis
In Ilujinle, a Yoruba village in the Ibadan Kingdom, the ageing Bale has fathered 63 children through polygamy. He has now set his sights upon Sidi, a young virgin, to his head wife Saiku’s dismay. Lakunle, a young teacher, decries the Bale’s traditional practices as uncivilised, and wishes to modernise Sidi so that he may marry her himself. A tug of war between modernity and tradition ensues, as Lakunle and Baroka highlight the weaknesses in each other’s belief system, leaving Sidi to face the consequences of both.
Find the script
Lion and the Jewel, The
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year published: 1963
Original Cast
Stella Oshalake
Cast
Trudi Coleman
Cast
Kwesi Kay
Cast
Veronica Wilson
Cast
Rosetta Nwanzoke
Cast
David Longdon
Cast
Hannah Bright-Taylor
Cast
Jumoke Debayo
Cast
Lionel Ngakane
Cast
Tommy Ansah
Cast
Femi Euba
Cast
Plinio Galfetti
Cast
Abdi Abobaker
Cast
Shauree Crooks
Cast
Taiwo Ajai
Cast
Blossom Pegram
Cast
Ilario Bisi-Pedro
Cast
Production Team
Sanya Dosunmie
Musical Direction
Marc Wilkinson
Musical Direction
Desmond O'Donovan
Director
Jocelyn Herbert
Designer / Costumes
Andrew / Andy Phillips
Lighting
Additional Materials
Royal Court Production File
Ref: THM/273/4/1/35
V&A Theatre and Performance Collection