ISSN 2360-7998
Abstract
This study examines the role of the playwright as a custodian and interpreter of history through an interrogation of selected works by Ola Rotimi. Focusing on Kurunmi (1971), Ovonramwen Nogbaisi (1974), and Hopes of the Living Dead (1985), the research explores how Rotimi reconstructs Nigerian historical experiences through drama to preserve collective memory, critique socio-political realities, and promote national consciousness. Drawing on historiographic criticism and postcolonial theory, the study argues that Rotimi functions not merely as a dramatist but as a theatrical historian who transforms archival events into emotionally resonant narratives. Through qualitative textual analysis and engagement with existing scholarship, the research reveals that Rotimi blends historical facts with creative imagination to interrogate themes such as leadership, resistance, colonialism, tradition, marginalisation, and collective liberation. The study further demonstrates that his dramaturgy challenges Eurocentric representations of African history while foregrounding indigenous perspectives and communal experiences. Findings show that Rotimi’s plays serve both pedagogical and ideological purposes by democratising history and making it accessible to broader audiences through performance and storytelling. Ultimately, the research concludes that Rotimi’s historical dramas are significant contributions to African literary historiography, as they preserve cultural identity, stimulate critical reflection on nationhood, and position theatre as a powerful medium for historical consciousness and social transformation.
Keywords: Ola Rotimi; Historical Drama; Historiography; Historical Reconstruction; Postcolonial Theatre; Cultural Memory; Nigerian Theatre.