The National Theatre of Ghana has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Image Bureau and April Communications to stage Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka’s iconic play, Death and the King’s Horseman, in August this year.
The Executive Director of the National Theatre of Ghana, Mr Henry Herbert Malm, signed on behalf of the institution, while Mr George Quaye signed for Image Bureau and April Communications at a brief ceremony held at the Theatre’s premises in Accra on Monday.
The collaboration forms part of ongoing efforts to promote stage drama and the performing arts as integral components of Ghana’s cultural and creative economy.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Malm explained that the partnership was in line with the Theatre’s mandate to not only offer performance spaces but to actively participate in the promotion and development of the performing arts industry.
He noted that the National Theatre would not merely serve as a venue but would contribute technical and creative support through its resident companies, the National Drama Company, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the National Dance Company.
“This is not just a matter of giving out the hall or renting spaces. We are mandated to ensure that these performances are successful, and that is why we are directly involved,” he stated.
He revealed that the play, scheduled for August 23, 24, 30 and 31, 2025, 8.00 p.m each night would mark his first MoU since assuming office as Executive Director, and indicated that it represented a new approach to collaboration, in which the National Theatre actively supported production companies in areas such as publicity, logistics, and coordination.
Mr Malm stressed the importance of increasing public interest in theatre beyond a small elite circle, adding that targeted publicity and broader outreach were key strategies his administration would pursue to boost patronage.
On the significance of the play, he said Death and the King’s Horseman carried powerful messages that resonate with the values of identity, duty, and cultural heritage, which were essential for national development.
He noted that such productions aligned with government’s broader agenda of job creation through the creative arts, adding that “When patronage improves, production houses grow, and jobs are created for the youth from actors to stage managers, costumiers, and technical crews.”
Mr Malm encouraged the public, especially theatre enthusiasts and students, to attend the August performances, promising an unforgettable cultural experience.
“Let us come out in our numbers to support the arts. Together, we can grow the industry,” he said.
Mr Quaye for his part said the journey with the National Theatre didn’t start now, it started in the previous administration.
“Today we started a new journey again and we believe this journey is going to be even more rewarding and more exciting. The play we’ve picked is not a play a lot of directors like to toy with because it is deep and it is difficult to execute and expensive to stage,” he said.
Mr Quaye said his outfit had previously partnered with the National Theatre to perform plays like Ola Rotimi’s ‘The Gods Are Not to Blame,’ ‘The Legend of Akushika,’ ‘The Marriage of Anansewaa’ and a few others.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
The post Wole Soyinka’s iconic ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’ play to be staged August appeared first on Ghanaian Times.
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