July 25, 2025
Athens, GR 14 C
Expand search form
Blog

Ruth Leon recommends… Death and the King’s Horseman – Wole Soyinka

Ruth Leon recommends… Death and the King’s Horseman – Wole Soyinka

Wole Soyinka

Click here to subscribe

The greater the honour, the deeper the shame.

In British-occupied Nigeria, the king is dead, and it is the duty of his horseman, Elesin, to accompany him into the afterlife. While lustily enjoying the pleasures of this world, Elesin proudly anticipates his transition to the next but the sacred ritual is interrupted. A night of devastating tragedy unfolds and another sacrifice is made.

Nigerian Nobel Prize-winning author Wole Soyinka is 90. He is widely regarded as one of Africa’s greatest writers and one of the world’s most important dramatists.
He was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature for his “wide cultural perspective and poetic overtones fashioning the drama of existence”. This is his most famous play.
This production, from Canada’s Stratford Festival, stars Anthony Santiago as Elesin and is directed by Tawiah M’Carthy.

Monthly subscription £6.44, a year is £64.47

Read more

The post Ruth Leon recommends… Death and the King’s Horseman – Wole Soyinka appeared first on Slippedisc.

Previous Article

Gergiev commits piracy at the Bolshoi

Next Article

Ravel Fragments: Bertrand Chamayou’s anniversary tribute

You might be interested in …

Winners and losers at the NY Phil

Winners and losers at the NY Phil

WIN: Matias Tarnopolsky played hardball in compensation negotiations when the NY Phil came after him in the summer. That’s why it has taken four months to make the appointment. He got what he wanted, or […]

Cancer claims top sax, 78

Cancer claims top sax, 78

The magnificent saxophonist David Sanborn has died of prostate cancer, which he had endured for six years. He took up the instrument on doctors’ orders as a child to strengthen his chest muscles and improve […]

Munich gets new orchestra chief

Munich gets new orchestra chief

The Munich Philharmonic, which recently installed Lahav Shani as chief conductor, also has a new CEO. Paul Müller is departing after 16 years. His successor next year will be Florian Wiegand, presently director of concerts […]