Lion of the Jewel and Trials of brother Jero takes stage in Lagos

Weeks after his 80th birthday the playwright and one of Africa’s literary icons, Professor Soyinka is still receiving accolades and recognition for his works from the literary world. The shows which started on July 19th will run through till August 23rd and 30th at the freedom Park and Terra Kulture respectively. The play, The Lion […]

Weeks after his 80th birthday the playwright and one of Africa’s literary icons, Professor Soyinka is still receiving accolades and recognition for his works from the literary world.

The shows which started on July 19th will run through till August 23rd and 30th at the freedom Park and Terra Kulture respectively.
The play, The Lion and the Jewel, directed by Toyin Oshinaike features star actors like, Soibifaa Dokubo popularly known as ‘Waka’, Bharia McNwizu of AMBO Fame, Patrick Diabuah and the renowned Thespian Family Theatre Troupe.
For the Director, Toyin Oshinaike,he described the play as an interesting challenge to bring out something unique, not a show as he had seen or performed in. The lead characters embody the conflicts between modernity and tradition by the way they personify the two sides of the major social and political issues in Africa during the last half of the twentieth century.
The Trials of Brother Jero is a light satiric comedy on religious hypocrisy in the form of a charlatan, or fraud, named Brother Jero. The Director, Olufemi Oke is enthusiastic that the theatre would do justice to the interpretation of the play. In his words, he says, “I have seen this play on stage once and this is therefore an opportunity to create something original, unique and delightfully different to bring out the message of the play”.
The Trials of Brother Jero features Toju Ejoh, and a host of other members of the Thespian Family Theatre Troupe.
Thespian Family Theatre and Productions is an emerging leader in the theatre space with an aspiration of building community through the platform of the performance arts. In Nigeria’s relentless pursuit of social change, concerns have been raised about critical initiatives needed to tackle some of the problems that plague the nation and retard its progress.
These issues include societal issues about power, tradition, culture, loyalty, deceit, double standard living and hope. Thespian Family Theatre and Productions has carefully chosen both plays for performance to once again serve as a trigger for thoughts around these issues through the intrinsic messages of the plays.