REVIEW ON THE BOOK 'ODARA' BY OLALEKAN ODUNTAN.

The book 'ODARA' was first written in 1998, and it was staged for the first time for Chevron's end of the year party. It had veteran actors like Olu Okekanye who played the role Orunmila while Lanre Omiyinka (Baba Ijesha today) played the role of the hunched back man. Sunday Eselekhomhen played the role of Odara while Olalekan Oduntan was the chanter for the play. We also had Late Ayantunji Amoo on the lead talking drum while Amos Olutokun was his back up drummer. We had Osagie Okedigun and Dare Olasunkanmi as part of the production team. The play was produced by Mary Emoabino while Olalekan Oduntan directed it. I had another attempt staging the play for some shows abroad in April 2015, but due to some logistic problems, the planned trip did not see the light of the day. The production had people like Femi Olaiya, Dalmas Wemimo Omolade, Efe Mary Orhorha, Tina Nkechi Okwuosa, Patrick Diabuah, Seyi Allen, Victor Coker. Ruth Taye Ogbodu, Toyin Olokodana James, Rita Abosede Benedict, Janet Olufunmilayo Abe, Kerri Chukwuemeka Daniel, Joy Amata, Jennifer Samson and Oluewu Abiola Oladipupo. The play was produced by Olalekan Oduntan and directed by Williams Ekpo. The play is about how God Almighty rejected the devil and condemned him to the world after disobeying Him. The devil got to the world and he was being blamed for virtually all the problems troubling the dwellers of the world. Humans consulted Orunmila to help in removing their percieved enemy from the world forgetting that devil is the bringer of money. The world was hiterto without money and nobody liked the situation at all. The world became very calm and peaceful but yet humans still complained that there were no sparkles and bubbles in it to make life very interesting for them. They cosulted Orunmila again to bring the devil back to the world, an idea that he warned them against. But they insisted in bringing the devil back to the world. And of course, the devil was brought back, the rest is now history. The play is avalable on www.amazon.com.