Abstract

We are treating "A Dance of the Forests" for many reasons. Firstly, the play was written during Soyinka’s formative years as a playwright, and it is one of his masterpieces. Secondly, it brings to the stage many fundamental issues of national interest. Thirdly, the play, written in the 1960s, codifies Soyinka’s sociopolitical commitment that is still strong even in his most recent works. We also see the plot and characterisation as signposts necessary toward understanding Soyinka’s dramaturgy. In essence, we discover that "A Dance of the Forests" remains one of the few plays in which the entire cosmos is taken up for scrutiny and it remains evergreen in its incisive insight, especially on the past, present and future of the Nigeria nation in particular. We discover that the play still has a lot of relevance to the Nigerian situation of this century.