Nigerian director steps into British opera
OperaIn Opera North’s new season, announced yesterday, the Nigerian director Femi Elufowoju jr has been engaged for a new production of Rigoletto, designed by Rae Smith, and conducted by Garry Walker.
Femi has moved out of an acting career to make headway in the UK music scene, co-directing a film of Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale with the Hallé Orchestra. He’s going places.
If he’s really good, he will torpede the PC nonsense around diversity.
Don’t worry, if he isn’t, nobody will dare admit it.
… even if wasn’t good, he’d fit the current diversity requirement.
“He’s going places …” Rather a patronizing remark to make about somebody who has already been places in the theatrical world, as actor and award-winning director.
It is also worth pointing out that Nigeria has a rich cultural heritage, blending (sometimes clashing) since the nineteenth century with the western culture introduced by Christian missions and British colonialism. Those ignorant about Nigeria, and its links to western musical traditions, should at least check out the life of Fela Sowande on wiki.
Everywhere has “a rich cultural tradition”, even if other places don’t always recognize it because they have different traditions.