Elijah Kolawole Ogunmola, known simply as Kola Ogunmola, stands as one of the most influential figures in the history of Nigerian theatre. Born in 1925 in Okemesi‑Ekiti, he pioneered a theatrical form that celebrated Yoruba language, culture, music, and storytelling. Long before modern films and digital media, Ogunmola’s travelling theatre troupes brought drama directly to communities across southwestern Nigeria, laying a foundational artistic tradition that would inspire generations of performers. This article tells the story of Ogunmola’s life, his innovations on stage, his most impactful works, and the enduring legacy he left behind.
Early Life and Cultural Roots
Ogunmola was born on November 11, 1925, in the culturally vibrant town of Okemesi‑Ekiti. His upbringing occurred in a society rich with Yoruba oral traditions, public performance rituals, music, and communal celebrations. This environment played a pivotal role in shaping his artistic sensibilities. Before his theatrical breakthrough, Ogunmola worked as a schoolteacher in Ado‑Ekiti. Teaching drama and organizing school productions helped him recognize the power of performance to educate, inspire, and entertain. These early roles planted the seeds of his vision for a new kind of theatre, one that was deeply rooted in local language and culture yet informed by structured storytelling and dramatic art.
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Breaking Ground: The Birth of Yoruba Travelling Theatre
In the late 1940s, Ogunmola formed his own performance group, later known as the Ogunmola Travelling Theatre. Rather than performing in fixed venues, his company toured towns, villages, school compounds, and open market spaces, performing outdoors or in communal areas where everyday people gathered. This model of travelling theatre democratized performance, making it accessible to audiences who had never seen staged drama before. Performances were delivered primarily in Yoruba language, with live drumming, call‑and‑response singing, dance, mime, humour, and storytelling woven into dynamic productions that blurred the boundary between performers and spectators.
Artistic Style and Innovation
Ogunmola combined traditional Yoruba performance elements with structured dramatic narratives. His theatre featured music and drumming that opened and closed scenes and underscored emotional moments, dance and mime that conveyed story developments visually, proverbs and oral lore rooted in Yoruba cultural wisdom, and audience interaction that made spectators part of the performance energy. His plays carried moral lessons, social commentary, and cultural affirmation, challenging human weaknesses and reflecting societal concerns while capturing the richness of Yoruba life.
Signature Works That Defined a Movement
One of Ogunmola’s most celebrated works was Ife Owo, which translates to Love of Money. First staged in the early 1950s and later published in the 1960s, this production explored the corrosive effects of greed on families and communities. With humour and moral depth, it became one of the most popular plays in the Yoruba travelling theatre repertoire. Ogunmola’s stage adaptation of The Palm‑Wine Drinkard, titled Omuti Apa Kini in Yoruba, brought fantasy, folklore, and dramatic performance together in a way that celebrated indigenous narrative traditions. This production elevated folk storytelling into structured drama, earning broad admiration and further solidifying Ogunmola’s reputation as a master storyteller.
Recognition and Professionalization
In the 1950s and 1960s, Ogunmola’s contributions were acknowledged by cultural institutions. Engagement with the University of Ibadan’s School of Drama helped his company professionalize, expand production quality, and mentor emerging performers. His theatre bridged traditional oral performance with narrative storytelling, influencing contemporaries and future generations alike.
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Later Years and Enduring Legacy
In 1970, Ogunmola suffered a stroke that temporarily sidelined his work. Though he returned briefly to the stage, his health declined, and he passed away in 1973. Through his travelling theatre, Ogunmola elevated indigenous performance traditions, reimagined Yoruba folklore for staged drama, created a theatrical platform that spoke directly to everyday audiences, and influenced the growth of performance arts in Nigeria beyond his lifetime. His legacy continues in the vibrancy of Nigerian drama and popular culture, inspiring performers and theatre enthusiasts for generations.
Author’s Note
Kola Ogunmola’s story is a testament to the transformative power of cultural expression. From humble beginnings as a schoolteacher, he created theatre that connected deeply with everyday people. His work celebrated Yoruba language, honoured traditional performance practices, and made drama a living art form in communities across Nigeria. Ogunmola shaped a cultural legacy that laid important foundations for modern Nigerian performance arts and continues to influence storytelling, stage practices, and the soul of Nigerian creative expression.
References
Britannica Biography of Kola Ogunmola, Britannica Overview of Nigerian Theatre, Academic Research on Yoruba Folk Opera and Travelling Theatre, Cultural Histories of Nigerian Performance Arts
