In 1945, the success recorded with ‘The Garden of Eden and The Throne of God’ motivated Ogunde to establish his first company the ‘African Music Research Party.’ This was an amateur dramatic society. As the saying goes ‘Rome was not built in a day’. This was the first professional step taken by Ogunde in his new-found drama career. In the wake of 1946, Ogunde turned professional with the production of the ‘Tiger’s Empire’ which was his first opera as a professional under his company (African Music Research Party),
although Ogunde was warned by the police for showing the ‘Tiger’s Empire’. The opera was showed throughout the defunct Western Region. In 1946, Ogunde was banned from staging the opera in Jos, Northern Nigeria. This also earned him £125 fine. At this point he took his company outside the borders of Nigeria to Dahomey, present day Republic of Benin. This marked his first international outing.
In September 1946, Ogunde felt the need for training and development as a professional playwright. He applied for Passports and UK Visas alongside with his companion Miss Clementina Ogunbule who later became Mrs. Ogunde (the late Mrs. Adesewa Ogunde- Mama-Eko). Unfortunately, he was refused. This refusal led to another confrontation with the government. To this end, the media supported him and by March, 1947 passports and visas were granted to Ogunde and his partner.
In England in 1947, Ogunde was admitted into Buddy Bradley School of Dancing at the Piccadilly Circus, London. This is the root of his much talked about aesthetic dances in his plays.
On his return from Britain in October 1947, the company name was changed from ‘African Music Research Party’ to ‘Ogunde Theatre Party’. This might be due to the exposure and influence of Great Britain on Mr. Ogunde. “That Ogunde financed his trip unaided indicated not only the success and popularity of his Party but also his financial achievement in a short space of time.” And before December 1947, Ogunde had become ‘Nigeria’s theatre king’.
In 1948, ‘Ogunde Theatre Party’ travelled to the Gold Coast (now Ghana) to perform the popular opera entitled ‘King Solomon.’ This outing was disastrous as the majority of his Ghanaian audience did not understand Yoruba. He returned to ‘Nigeria penniless after owing his cast a month’s salary and the lorry-owner the fare.’ But as a determined entity, Ogunde did more research on the Ghanaian audience, put together a variety of programmes and called it ‘Swing The Jazz’ and this time, the tour was not only a success, but profitable.
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