Elesin Oba, the King's Horseman, has a single destiny. When the King dies, he must commit ritual suicide and lead his King's favourite horse and dog through the passage to the world of the ancestors. A British Colonial Officer, Pilkings, intervenes to prevent the death and arrests Elesin. The play is a set text for NEAB GCSE, NEAB A Level and NEAB A/S Level. 'A masterpiece of 20th century drama' - Guardian 'A transfixing work of modern world drama' (Independent); 'clearly a masterpiece. . . he achieves the full impact of Greek tragedy' (Irving Wardle, Independent on Sunday); 'the action of the play is as inevitable and eloquent as in Antigone: a clash of values and cultures so fundamental that tragedy issues: a tragedy for each individual, each tribe' (Michael Schmidt, Daily Telegraph)
