George Ogunde, Hubert Ogunde' first son
Eko Hot Blog reports that George Ogunde, the first child of late Hubert Ogunde, the pioneer of Nigerian theatre, is dead.
The deceased’s sister Dayo Ogunde announced the sad development in a Facebook post on Thursday.
She did not immediately reveal the cause of her brother’s death.
“It’s hard to say goodbye Brother mi, our first child in the Ogunde clan. But we take solace in the fact that you are in a better place,” she wrote.
“You were such a wonderful and friendly soul. May your soul continue to rest in the bosom of your maker.
“Omo Gbegande Esiwu Ijoku.”
George Ogunde, like his late iconic father, was a theatre practitioner and had his troupe.
His younger brother Owobo Ogunde acted the role of Bashorun in Kunle Afolayan’s Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre which began streaming on Netflix on March 1, 2024.
One of Hubert Ogunde’s daughters Afolabi Ogunde-Kikiowo died in September 2019.
Hubert Ogunde
The elder Ogunde founded the first contemporary professional theatrical company in Nigeria, the African Music Research Party, in 1945.
He changed the name to Ogunde Theater Party in 1947 and Ogunde Concert Party in 1950.
Finally, in 1960, the playwright changed it to Ogunde Theater, a name that remained until his death in 1990.
Ogunde has been described as “the father of Nigerian theatre, or the father of contemporary Yoruba theatre”.
In his career on stage, he wrote more than 50 plays, most of which incorporate dramatic action, dance, and music, with a story reflecting the political and social realities of the period.
Ogunde’s first production was a church-financed play called The Garden of Eden. It premiered at Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, in 1944.
Its success encouraged Ogunde to produce more plays, and he soon left his job with the police force for a career in the theatre.
He passed away in London, England, on 4 April 1990 at 73, after a successful theatre career spanning over 45 years.
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