In May 1969, David Oluwale’s body was pulled from the River Aire in Leeds. Eighteen months later, the investigation into his death was to rip apart the Yorkshire police force as two officers were prosecuted for killing the Nigerian immigrant whist in police custody.The police acts of prejudice and violence brought to light through the investigation of 1971 shook the population of Leeds, and thirty nine years on, the details of Oluwale’s death still haunt the area.
Through The Hounding of David Oluwale, an adaptation of Kester Aspden’s critically acclaimed text, Agboluaje uses carefully selected accounts of Oluwale’s life to reveal how an optimistic and much loved showman who loved to dance, became the tragic victim of police persecution and brutality.
Adapted as part of the Eclipse Theatre Initiative, a scheme dedicated to raising awareness for the work of aspiring Black dramatists, this play is a gripping drama that unravels the deep rooted prejudice that resides within contemporary society. The Hounding of David Oluwale opened at the West Yorkshire Playhouse at the end of January 2009.
