Edward Imo is a name that cannot be disregarded when it comes to modern stage plays and performances in Port Harcourt. He was able to work in a range of genres due to his wide expertise in the entertainment industry (stage, music and film). He has performed in starring roles and directed a variety of theatre, film, and television productions. Edward Imo is a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt and holds a PhD in Theatre Arts and Film Studies from the same institution.
On October 1, 2021, Independence Day, the Rivers State actor and theatre educator is expected to exhibit a thorough mastery of the subject as Ikoli Harcourt Whyte of Ola Rotimi's Hopes Of The Living Dead at The Arena, 30 Tombia Road, GRA Phase 2, Port Harcourt.
PTV Media's Perekeme Odon spoke with the actor on his role as Ikoli Harcourt Whyte and other things. Have a good time with the interview...
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| Dr, Edward Imo |
PO: Could you tell us about the schools you attended?
Edward Imo: I attended Government Primary School, Ahoada, Western Ahoada County High School, Ahoada and the University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State where I studied Theatre Arts and Film Studies.
PO: As a youngster, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Edward Imo: My early childhood dream was to be a lawyer.
PO: Can you explain to us why Hopes of the Living Dead, a play symbolically portraying our society's variety, should be presented at the Garden City Arena in Port Harcourt on Nigeria's independence day, October 1, 2021?
Edward Imo: The production of Ola Rotimi's Hopes of the Living Dead is apt as Independence Day celebrations play because it portrays the leadership quagmire that has enveloped the Nigerian nation since independence in 1960. The play compels us to reflect on the gains and pains of Independence.
PO: Hopes of the Living Dead is a conflict drama that figuratively depicts the variety of our society via your character, Ikoli Harcourt Whyte, and the British Administration. How prepared are you to play the part in front of your followers and audience?
Edward Imo: By the grace of God, I am putting in my best to ensure that I do justice to the role interpretation of Ikoli Harcourt Whyte. Apart from the character being complex to interpret, I am a lecturer that would be acting with his students so I have the challenge to put up a scintillating performance befitting of my status of a lecturer that teaches theatre theory and Criticism. I need to be exemplary in my role interpretation so as to instil confidence in the student actors in the company on one hand, and the generous number of my fans outside the university community.
PO: Who exactly is Ikoli Harcourt Whyte?
Edward Imo: Ikoli Harcourt Whyte is a historical figure and epitome of purposeful leaders who championed the course of the leper's struggle for freedom at the hands of the management of the General Hospital, Port Harcourt. He is of Kalabari extraction, but his leadership scope transcends ethnicity. He is a singer, composer, conductor and philosopher. He represents transparent, selfless and dedicated leadership.
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| (l-r) Charles Inojie & Edward Imo |
PO: Is this your first time portraying Ikoli Harcourt Whyte?
Edward Imo: Yes
PO: What piques your interest in this role, and what is your delivery rate for it?
Edward Imo: Well, I must confess that I have always dreamt of playing the role of Harcourt Whyte but in this production, I never lobbied for it. In the last production of Hopes of the Living Dead by the same director, Ovunda Ihunwo a few years ago, I played the role of Superintendent of Police but this time, the role was given to the Nollywood star, Charles Inojie. So the director simply cast me to play the role of Harcourt Whyte. The director is confident that I would deliver on the role any day. any time in spite of the challenges attached to it. Like I said earlier, I am ready psychologically, mentally and physically to deliver on the role interpretation of Ikoli Harcourt Whyte.
PO: What makes you the best choice for this role?
Edward Imo: I do not feel that I am the most suited for this role. I took on this role based on the decision of the director. I believe the director is convinced that I will do justice to this role having worked with me on several of his productions where I played leading and challenging roles.
PO: The information you've gathered has a significant influence on your personality. It's critical to know the era and historical period in which your character lives. How can you immerse yourself in the time and generation of your character to attain spoken English of then and now?
Edward Imo: Fundamentally, believable character interpretation requires in-depth research. I started by digging deep into history as regards the life and times of Ikoli Harcourt Whyte and also the predominant mannerisms and gestures of the times that he lived. My research became complemented by the details of stage business that Rotimi deposits in the script. These two factors have sharpened the thrust of my role interpretation of Harcourt Whyte.
PO: What is the most challenging scene in the play for you?
Edward Imo: Going by this, I would say the most challenging scene is Act One, titled "Crisis", Happenings Two (Page 27) where Harcourt Whyte has to rebuke Editor for being rude and pompous.
PO: What attitude and approach are needed for the position of Ikoli Harcourt Whyte?
Edward Imo: The character of Ikoli Harcourt Whyte is rounded and sensitive, so it requires developing a philosophic mindset as well as being reflective. Any actor playing this role will sure develop his skill for mood swings. Such an actor would also need to work seriously on his delivery patterns that are, modulation since the character speaks both in low and high tones depending on the predominant dramatic atmosphere.
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| Edward Imo As Ikoli Harcourt Whyte |
PO: You must be a competent vocalist who knows virtually all of Ikoli Harcourt Whyte's odd hymn sections. Have you heard "Otuto Nke Chukwu" by Ikoli Harcourt Whyte and can you sing it?
Edward Imo: Good a thing I am a foundational chorister of the Anglican. I enrolled in the choir only when I was nine. This gave me some strong music orientation as a teenager. The director, Ovunda Ihunwo is a seasoned music director and choirmaster in the Anglican Church. So it became very easy for me to flow with him musically. I can safely tell you that I am at home with all the songs composed by Harcourt Whyte beyond " Otuto Nke Chukwu".
PO: In your opinion, which song by Ikoli Harcourt Whyte is the best?
Edward Imo: My best Harcourt's song is " Chegbem ooo"
PO: To what extent would your role interpretation reflect the playwright's emphasis on the interaction between leader and led?
Edward Imo: I see the issue of leadership as the thrust of the message raised in the play. In course of reading the play, I deduced an obvious breach in communication between the leaders and the led. It is this gap between them that informed my motivation for the characterization
PO: This is a typically melodramatic production that puts a lot of pressure on the actors and crew. Do you believe in the playwright's charge theory of holding your soul hostage until the production is over?
Edward Imo: Of course I believe in Ola Rotimi's charge theory to his cast and crew. The charge is one way of eliciting commitment from the actors. It should be spelt out that my director Ovunda Ihunwo tows a different path from Rotimi's charge theory, maybe as a result of the generational gap. Ovunda motivates his actors by being flexible in his approach to actors. He takes into cognizance the different challenges of cast and crew and ensures that he accommodates their plights in fixing rehearsals. Ovunda"s approach differs markedly from Rotimi's charge and demand for the actor's soul. So far so good, it has been working for Ovunda.
PO: What do you view as the most difficult task in this production?
Edward Imo: I foresee an overcrowding issue in the auditorium, which would necessitate audience management for both shows. The producer might run into some level of confusion trying to stop some enthusiastic members of the audience who may not have a seat to sit down and enjoy the show.
PO: How do you keep yourself motivated at work?
Edward Imo: The level of seriousness and commitment from the director determines motivation for any production. I get easily motivated working with Ovunda Ihunwo because he understands my busy schedule and the need to give me a break from time to time. He does not pressurize me and that's enough reason for me to be motivated to work with him.
PO: Can you tell me about a time when you failed in this job and what you learned from it?
Edward Imo: I cannot figure out any time I have failed in this role. However, the lesson I learnt is that, there is the need for an actor to study and master his line in good time. I have learnt that learning one's lines early enough sure prepare the actor ahead of the production.
PO: What is the most enjoyable aspect of becoming an actor?
Edward Imo: The best part of being an actor, for me is that moment when members of the audience come backstage looking for me to express their appreciation for a scintillating performance. That to me is the height of appreciation of my art.
PO: When did you first realize you wanted to be an actor?
Edward Imo: My acting spirit dates back to my infancy and formative years. As a boy of 10, I was already taking in the lines of all the characters in The New Masquerade.
PO: What do you know now about acting that you wish you knew when you first started?
Edward Imo: What I have learnt now is the virtue of learning my lines slowly and steadily for purposes of believable interpretation. Before now I would always be in a hurry to impress my director by taking in all my lines but today, I take my time to do that while still looking for appropriate characterization.
PO: Which three actors would you most like to collaborate with if you had the chance?
Edward Imo: Sam Dede, Richard Mofe-Damijo and Bimbo Manuel.
PO: Tell us about your proudest stage achievement.
Edward Imo: My greatest achievement on stage has been acting alongside Nobert Young, Bimbo Manuel and Monalisa Chinda in King Jaja as directed by Ovunda Ihunwo, and then Francis Duru, Segun Arinze, Ebele Okaro and Onyeka Onwenu in The Concubine as directed by same Ovunda Ihunwo.
PO: Do you also act on the big screen? If so, what is the distinction between film acting and stage/theatre acting?
Edward Imo: I have acted on screen but not much for now. The difference is much. But basically, the stage challenges you to be more involved in taking in your lines deeply, and the physicalization of the actions. While screen lures us to be lazy in taking in our lines far ahead of time since there is room to cut the recording in case of mistakes. Also, film acting requires more of our facial energy than the entire body.
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| Rehearsal With Director Ovunda Ihunwo |
PO: Do you like to perform in films or on stage?
Edward Imo: Stage acting sure gives me better satisfaction and challenges as a professional, but film acting has the potential to launch me into stardom faster. Both of them are important in their own rights. I prefer both of them.
PO: What are your future ambitions as an actor, and how long have you been in the profession of acting?
Edward Imo: I've been performing since 1997 when I was a Certificate student in Theatre Arts at Uniport. However, my interest in acting increased in 2006 when my path crossed with that of Ovunda Ihunwo at the Crab. He started bringing me into his productions to this day. My goal is to be a famous actor both on stage and screen in order to complement my core area like a theatre critic.
PO: What is the most difficult aspect of being an actor?
Edward Imo: The most difficult aspect of being an actor is the triviality attached to it by most persons in society because they feel that it is an all-comers’ profession. Working with a wrong cast and crew especially the director can make acting boring and demoralizing.
PO: Do you have the ability to play any musical instrument?
Edward Imo: Yes. I play the drums, bass guitar, conga, and a little keyboard.
PO: In what stage or theatre play did you first perform and how do you strive to enhance your acting talents using various theories and techniques of acting?
Edward Imo: My first production was Prof. Ikonne's No Man's Land as directed by Columbus Irisoanga in 1997. I played the role of Dr Akanda Akawo. I have always studied Stanislavsky's Method, and then Meisner's variant of Method. These theories have helped me a great deal.
PO: Are you a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) or the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP)?
Edward Imo: Yes. I am a member of both.
PO: Thank you very much for your time.
Edward Imo: You're most welcome.
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