The clash of cultures that has defined Europe’s interaction with Africa is an often overwhelming storyline that has shaped the Western Hemisphere like no other. Nigeria’s Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka tackled a small piece of that clash in his wonderful allegory about the power of tradition in the face of imperialism, ‘Camwood on the Leaves’.The play was originally written as a radio drama in the 1950s. It depicts a struggle between traditional values, customs, and religions, and ‘modern’ western religious values. Written in the years when Nigeria was still a colony, the play is a part of a vital colonial literature that highlights the voice and agency of the colonised, giving value to the traditional, even while the modern is being hailed as the best available.An indispensable piece of Pan-African art, ‘Camwood on the Leaves’ was brought to Bermuda on Friday night, to the utter delight of a half-full City Hall Theatre. Delivered by the Circuit Theatre Players from the University of Missouri’s Centre for International Studies and the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Media Studies, the one act play was nicely paced, drama-packed, and, ultimately, very satisfying.The action follows the story of two Nigerian families who have met on the intersection of drama and conflict. Isola (Jason Little), son of Moji (Fannie Bette Lebby) and Reverend Erinjobi (Dennis Lebby), has been friends with Morounke (Mahdiah Evans), daughter of the rich Olumorins (Matthew Amend and Vanika Spencer), since they each could walk. Recently, they have become inseparable, much to the chagrin of their respective parents. Of course, they are now teenagers, and it comes as no surprise when the fact that Morounke is carrying Isola’s child is revealed about twenty minutes into the story. Both are still 15 years old, so the pregnancy becomes a mark of shame for the parents, disgracing the Reverend and exposing the Olumorins as the neglectful parents they are.Adding to the drama is Isola’s insistence on following a cultlike troupe of masqueraders, or Gombey players (yes, this is similar to the Gombey tradition practiced in Bermuda, but with a much more religious facet). It is the son’s rejection of his father’s fervour for the modern, invasive, imperialist philosophies of Christianity that adds intensity to the action, leading to an unforgettable and very symbolic climax.The children are out at night hunting snails for Morounke’s friend when the Olumorins storm into the Reverend’s house accusing Isola of abducting the innocent Morounke. Morounke is, of course, never coerced into anything against her will by Isola; he is, in fact, very kind, patient, and tender with her.During the night he takes her to a place they discovered many years ago, when they were younger. He reintroduces her to Moji, an old tortoise who he named after his mother because the reptile reminds him of her. Then, Morounke meets Erinjobi, a large boa (snake), who, tellingly, reminds him of his father.The story moves on through a series of dream sequences and flashbacks that are presented even while the night’s events are unfolding in ‘real time.’ The play itself is a fabulous exercise in storytelling, filling in details and fleshing out plot lines in a very stylish way.Isola endures several nightmares during the night, which he blames on Erinjobi the boa, vowing at one point to not rest until the snake is dead. In real time, the Olumorins have gathered a posse together to hunt the ‘kidnapper’ down and retrieve their daughter. When found, Morounke breaks out of her parents grip, calls her mother a witch, and runs back into the woods to be with Isola.Reverend Erinjobi follows the children into the woods hoping to talk to his distressed son. Meanwhile, Isola, determined to kill the snake, takes aim, fires, and slays Erinjobi. A voice over from earlier in the story when Isola was telling Morounke about how his father used to take him hunting when he was young plays while Moji weeps over her dead husband: “The Minister never shot at anything on the ground, for fear it might be a human being.”The conclusion is a shocking one, but it perfectly encapsulates the confusion, angst, pain, and sadness caused by the tragic encroachment of imperialist values on native cultures around the world. Traditional family units have endured massive stress throughout the colonial era, and religion has proven to be an astonishingly divisive force in the African Diaspora. The encroachment of western values depicted in ‘Camwood on the Leaves’ is the same phenomenon that Chinua Achebe describes in his classic novel ‘Things Fall Apart,’ and a perennial storyline in colonial and postcolonial literature.Lighting, staging, and pacing were perfect throughout this production, and the six primary players delivered spectacular performances. This play was expertly directed by Niyi Coker Jr. and also featured fine supporting performances by the mostly Bermudian Junior Premier Players. The event was coordinated by Mr. Rotimi Martins as a fundraiser for PALS.