Shit Happens
Nigerian oil politics is as confusing, as understandable, as hard to follow, and as enjoyable as it will ever be in the mesmerizing one-man show written and directed by Dan Hoyle. Oil politics is perhaps one of the most difficult topics to discuss these days, owing to its complexity and the perpetual questioning that arises from the presentation of the subject as an art form. Nigeria supplies nearly ten percent of the world’s oil, which makes it a vulnerable country to exploitation and the many botched foreign aid programs that follow afterwards. In Tings Dey Happen, the brilliant Dan Hoyle takes the audience through a whirlwind tour of a Nigeria torn by oil wars and the havoc it wreaks on Nigerians with a clarity that is difficult to receive, but so important, that we must.
The play begins with a cheery and witty “stage manager” Sylvannus, who serves as the only non-philosophical or critical comic relief apparent in the play. He appears to be a carefree fellow, whose only interests are that of procuring money and having a good time. This might lead the onlookers to believe that the play thy are about to experience is a light walk through the war torn Nigeria, had they not read the script. In actuality, the play, although it contains much humor and is very entertaining, it is only so to an extent. In one scene of the play, there is a female prostitute, who scoffs at Dan (played by the audience) because he will not enlist in her services during his stay in Nigeria. Though her little diatribe is funny and entertaining, it is also darkly depressing and also highly intuitive. That is because, while she appears to be simply insulting Dan, she is also lamenting the state of not only herself but also her country, which has lead her to become a prostitute, a fate that is not unique to her.
Aside from the humor, another great highlight of the show is Dan Hoyle himself. Hoyle is a master of both human dialect, as seen through his expert, almost impermeable accent imitations, and his fluid, highly believable movements and changes in character. Being that this is a one-man show, Hoyle plays all of the characters, and all of whom come out as perfectly as they would have had Hoyle employed several highly intuitive actors. His interpretation of obese Scottish men, homosexual Californian activists, and Nigerian snipers are both poignant and highly amusing.
Tings Dey Happen, the title of this play, implies that there is nothing that any country can do to help ease the situation that has formed and feed itself in Nigeria. Hoyle’s sarcastic comments and witty dialect concerning the oil politics of Nigeria provide the audience with a comprehensive, if slightly biased, view of the current situation in the impoverished country. The play was a delight to view, and somewhat enlightening. The only faults that could be found with this play was that Hoyle’s accents were slightly blurred when transitioning from Nigerian to Nigerian, but this was understandable, considering it was a one-man 90 minute show with no intermission. The set was also quite dismal and did not provide a stimulating background. However, considering the situation in Nigeria, the backdrop was completely aligned, at least emotionally, with the play. For all those desiring to view Tings Dey Happen, the advice is to go ahead, please! But be forewarned, Africa does not wait or change for anyone, nor does the play, shit just comes at you. And you know, right, that tings, Tings Dey Happen.