1 week Ago By Guardian Nigeria
As Sanwo-Olu, Austen-Peters Promise To Wow Lagosians Twenty-Five stage plays, including three international showpieces, will headline the Lagos International Theatre Festival (LITF) 2024, which kicks off on Thursday, November 14, 2024. The festival, in its maiden edition, will run for four days between November 14 and 17 across four iconic venues in the sprawling Lagos metropolis. The four-day line-up is designed to celebrate culture, creativity and community, promising an immersive journey through the vibrant world of theatre, live performances, workshops, and more.
With 25 plays lined up across the four venues at the Terra Kulture Arena, MUSON Centre, University of Lagos and Glover Hall, festival goers will also savour three international shows from the United States of America, South Africa and Zambia. At a ceremony to formally announce the festival on Tuesday, November 5, at the Lagos House in Marina, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the state was pleased and committed to partner with the Terra Kulture team to give Lagosians a beautiful experience throughout the four days of the festival.
SanwoOlu said he nursed no hesitation in signing off as the lead sponsor of the festival, adding that he hopes the festival will assist the state in promoting the idea of an arts and culture calendar that will guide residents and visitors coming to the state on where to go and what to see. “Our hope is to use this brilliant initiative to support theatre practitioners and to encourage listing art activities ahead so that visitors to our state can have an idea of what each month offers for them.” The founder of LITF and celebrated film and theatre producer, Mrs Bolanle Austen-Peters, also said the festival would be a yearly fanfare to celebrate talents, showcase authentic African stories and provide platforms for quality engagements.
She added that the maiden edition of LITF coincides with the 20th anniversary of the founding of Terra Kulture Group by her. “After several world-class plays that we have promoted locally and internationally and after training more than 26,000 youngsters through the Terra Academy for the Arts, we are delighted to be using LITF to draw attention to live theatre, determined to continue to lead the charge that stage plays are alive and well in Nigeria.” The international plays lined-up are Satchmo at the Waldorf (United States), a one-man portrayal of jazz legend Louis Armstrong, reflecting on race, betrayal, and the price of fame in the final days of his life; Metsi (South Africa), a spiritual and dramatic story of love and survival in a flood ridden community, exploring the challenges of life and the forces that shape human destiny; Without A Kiss (Zambia), a raw and powerful exploration of lost love, domestic violence, and the systemic struggles faced by vulnerable women in an unjust world.
The festival will open with engaging workshops designed to support and inspire creatives in the arts. The interactive workshops are going to cover a wide range of topics- the role of insurance and finance in the creative arts, dramatic story telling reading workshop and the role of radio in theatre arts. Venue of the workshops is John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture.
Time is 12:00pm to 4:00pm. The festival officially opens at Terra Kulture with a grand evening of theatrical performance by BAP Productions on November 15. From November 16 to 17, theatre comes alive at four iconic locations.
Twenty-five plays will be performed across four iconic Lagos venues: Terra Kulture, Muson Centre, University of Lagos and Glover Hall from 12:00pm to 8:00pm each day, plays will run simultaneously, creating a vibrant hub of art and culture all over the city. The closing night on November 17 will see a wrap up the festival with Broda Shaggi, who will bring his unique humour, celebrity guest appearances, and high-energy skits to the Terra Kulture stage, delivering an entertaining finale that celebrates the power of performance and laughter. Time is 7:00pm.
The festival’s governing patrons are, Chairman/CEO Channels TV, Mr. John Momoh; CEO MTN Nigeria, Mr. Karl Toriola; MD Aircom Ng.
Ltd., Mr. Yemi Idowu; CEO of Eventful Ltd, Mrs.
Yewande Zaccheaus; South African Producer Mr. Ron Kunene; Partner Helios Inv. Partners Africa Ltd, Mr.
Femi Tejuosho; Former Gov. Cross Rivers State, Mr. Donald Duke; Ladi A Chinade and radio broadcaster Mr.
Chris Ubosi. The advisory board has producer/veteran actress Joke Silva; comedian/actor, Samuel Perry aka Broda Shaggi; Founder AFRIFF, Mrs. Chioma Ude; creative arts practitioner, Femi Elufowoju jr.
(OBE); culture curator and communicator, Jahman Anikulapo; National President, NANTAP, Mr. Israel Eboh; award winning actress, Ms. Kehinde Bankole; award winning actress, Ms.
Osas Ighodaro; Lagos Fringe-Festival Director, Mr. Kenneth Uphopho and MD/CEO Zmirage Multimedia Limited, Teju Kareem..
