In the following essay, McLoughlin explores commonalities and differences in theme and context in Clark's early plays.

John Pepper Clark's early plays show the influence of established European literary forms, yet Nigerian myths and cultural attitudes have so asserted themselves in his most recent play, Ozidi, that his artistic manner has changed considerably. His fascination for the Ijaw saga of Ozidi has an odd sense of culmination for a writer who has spent his dramatic career turning back to his cultural roots: odd because he has integrated his formal educational influences with his more local traditional influences at a comparatively early age, Ozidi having been published when he was only 31.

The interesting point about John Pepper Clark is that his awareness of what he calls "traditional" and "native" influences has come to dominate what he has learned from western literature. He is conscious of the two cultures...