Tings Dey Happen, So What?
“Tings Dey Happen,” a controversial, yet compelling play concocted by Dan Hoyle. It takes place in the war ravaged, conflict prone area of West Africa known as the Niger Delta; more specifically, Nenbe Creek. A wondrous road trip to a place where governments can be bought and the patriarch no longer holds a substantial role or status. A place where oil politics makes the world go round and civil uprisings are as abundant as salt water in the ocean. In a 90 minute excursion taken alongside a graduate student, we obtain a glimpse deep into the mysterious world of oil politics.
If summarized in the fewest words possible, an “out of the box” fashioned production would just about cover it. The actor playwright, Dan Hoyle, gives a stellar, yet curious performance. With various, free flowing accents and minor alterations, Hoyle effectively transforms into plethoric amounts of characters; ranging from Nigerian to Japanese. Whether he is a Nigerian rebel, a sultry prostitute, or ambassadors from foreign countries, there is little flaw in his uncanny ability to become the person: the unique accents, posture and gestures are genuine to each individual. The flaw you ask? Quite simply, his skin color doesn’t change to fit his character.
All the while, Hoyle wittingly pulls the audience along by a string, sporadically asserting comedic sequences. One second, it’s a political play, and the next instant, it is a vulgar discourse between drunken Scottish oil businessmen.
At first sight, the stage doesn’t seem to be much, but when combined with the sound effects, and Hoyle’s exceptional performance, it comes to life; the bleak black backing becomes the trees, the bars, the houses. However, it is sometimes hard to keep up to pace with the who’s and where’s that the play is currently presenting; for there are simply too many characters for one person to possibly emulate. In a sense, the acting is superb; however, the technicalities were a bit deficient. However, Hoyle effectively covers the entire basis for oil politics 101 and manages to capture and reproduce the lives of those how live in Nigeria. Where exactly is Nenbe Creek though? “You see there is no sign that says…” says Capo, a Nigerian rebel, and continues “…Welcome to Nenbe Creek, because if you do not know us, you are not welcome.”