DEATH AND THE KING'S HORSEMAN Premieres on Stratfest@Home Today

The Stratford Festival's filmed performance of Death and the King's Horseman will debut for streaming world-wide on Thursday, February 9, 2023 via Stratfest@Home.

Wole Soyinka's theatre masterpiece joins a collection of works curated for Black History Month, featuring Black stories told by Black artists. Additional titles in this collection include:

· Voice - Prairie Theatre Exchange

· Unarmed Verses - National Film Board

· Black Soul - National Film Board

· Meet Chloe - Carousel Players, written by Cameron Grant

· House Notes with Old Heads (podcast) - E.B. Smith and Addae Moon

· From Our Point of View (series) - Robert Ball, hosted by Hollywood Jade

· Whose Lives Matter (panel discussion) - Stratford Festival, The Meighen Forum

Death and the King's Horseman finds us in British-occupied Nigeria following the recent death of Yoruba king, the Alafin, as his horseman, Elesin, prepares to conduct his final duty of accompanying his king into the afterlife. While lustily enjoying the pleasures of this world, Elesin proudly anticipates his transition to the next - but the sacred ritual is interrupted, resulting in unforeseen tragedy. Inspired by a real-life incident, Soyinka's masterpiece celebrates a community striving to uphold its culture in the face of colonial power.

Directed for the stage by Tawiah M'Carthy and for the screen by Nicholas Shields, the production was captured live on October 7, 2022.

Anthony Santiago as Elesin and Amaka Umeh as the Praise-Singer are joined by Graham Abbey as Simon Pilkings, Kwaku Adu-Poku as Olunde, Akosua Amo-Adem as Iyaloja, Maev Beaty as Jane Pilkings, Josue Laboucane as The Prince, Pulga Muchochoma as Joseph, and Ngabo Nabea as Sergeant Amusa. Also in the cast are Bola Aiyeola, Celia Aloma, isi bhakhomen, Joella Crichton, Déjah Dixon-Green, Ijeoma Emesowum, Matthew Kabwe, Kevin Kruchkywich, Rachel Jones, Andrea Rankin, Tyrone Savage, Espoir Segbeaya and Norman Yeung. They are accompanied by onstage musicians, Amado Dedeu García, Adékúnlé Olórundáre (Kunle), Erik Samuel and Oluwakayode Sodunke.

Join us online for Death and the King's Horseman, the entire Black History Month collection, and also five additional filmed performances from our 70th season including All's Well That Ends Well (available now) as well as Hamlet, The Miser, Richard III and 1939 (coming soon). For more information, visit stratfordfestival.ca. Covering media may contact Melissa Mae Shipley via email at mshipley@stratfordfestival.ca for screener access. View the trailer on YouTube.com/StratfordFestival.

Subscribe to Stratfest@Home for just $10 a month and gain access to the best in Canadian digital theatrical productions, including the Stratford Festival's acclaimed Shakespeare films, selected productions from the 2021 and 2022 seasons, original digital content, and selected events from the Festival's Meighen Forum, along with documentaries and original content from across the country.

Production support was generously provided by Barbara & John Schubert.

Support for the 2022 season at the Tom Patterson Theatre was generously provided by Daniel Bernstein & Claire Foerster.

Corporate support for the 2022 season at the Tom Patterson Theatre was generously provided by BMO Financial Group (BMO).

Support for Stratford Festival On Film is generously provided by The John and Myrna Daniels Charitable Foundation, Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, The Jenkins Family Foundation, The Henry White Kinnear Foundation, Elizabeth Lang and Family, Ophelia & Mike Lazaridis, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Sandra & Jim Pitblado, The Slaight Family Foundation, Robert & Jacqueline Sperandio, and an anonymous donor.

Death and the King's Horseman

By Wole Soyinka

CAST (in alphabetical order)

Graham Abbey Simon Pilkings

Kwaku Adu-Poku Olunde, Wole

Bola Aiyeola Adedoja, Guest at the Ball

Celia Aloma Olabisi, Guest at the Ball

Akosua Amo-Adem Iyaloja

Maev Beaty Jane Pilkings

isi bhakhomen Omosalewa, Guest at the Ball

Joella Crichton Understudy

Déjah Dixon-Green Apinke, Guest at the Ball

Ijeoma Emesowum Ariyike, Guest at the Ball

Rachel Jones Companion to The Resident, Tourist

Matthew Kabwe Constable, Companion to Elesin

Kevin Kruchkywich The Resident

Josue Laboucane The Prince, Tourist

Pulga Muchochoma Joseph, Adeife, Constable

Ngabo Nabea Sergeant Amusa

Andrea Rankin Companion to The Prince, Tourist

Anthony Santiago Elesin

Tyrone Savage Aide-de-camp (Bob)

Espoir Segbeaya Wuraola, Guest at the Ball

Amaka Umeh Olohun-iyo - Praise-Singer

Norman Yeung Constable, Tourist, Guest at the Ball

Onstage Musicians - Percussion

Amado Dedeu García

Adékúnlé Olórundáre (Kunle)

Erik Samuel

Oluwakayode Sodunke

ARTISTIC CREDITS

Director Tawiah M'Carthy

Dramaturge and Cultural Consultant Wolé Oguntokun

Set Designer Rachel Forbes

Costume Designer Sarah Uwadiae

Lighting Designer Christopher Dennis

Sound Designer Debashis Sinha

Music Director and Composer Adékúnlé Olórundáre (Kunle)

Movement Director Brad Cook

Choreographer Jaz 'Fairy J' Simone

Yoruba Dialect Coach Wolé Oguntokun

Supervising Fight Director Geoff Scovell

Associate Set Designer Jawon Kang

Assistant Director Mũkonzi Mũsyoki

Assistant Costume Designer Patricia Reilly

Assistant Lighting Designer Christian Horoszczak

Assistant Sound Designer Adam Campbell

Contributing Field Recordist Jude Nwankwo

Assistant Fight Director Jennifer Dzialoszynski

Fight Captain Matthew Kabwe

Movement Captain Pulga Muchochoma

Stage Manager Maxwell T. Wilson

Assistant Stage Managers Alice Ferreyra Galliani, Sam Hale

Apprentice Stage Manager May Nemat Allah

Production Assistant Elizabeth Richardson

Production Stage Manager Meghan Callan

Technical Director Greg Dougherty

FILM PRODUCTION: STRATFORD FESTIVAL

Administrative Director Shelley Stevenson

Associate Director of Digital Content Genna Dixon

Associate Technical Director David Campbell

Digital Producing Assistant Marie Fewer-Muncic

FILM PRODUCTION: SUEDE PRODUCTIONS

Directed for Film Nicholas Shields

Camera Operators Cameron Hucker, Jordan Krug, Michael Evans, Aaron Hucker, Chris Pickle, Sikandar Saleem, Leo Cardelli, Henry Nadasdi

Editor Jordan Krug

Editing Assistants Aaron Hucker, Cameron Hucker, Jett Shields

Sound Mixing Jordan Krug