British Council announces 2017 edition themed “Rhythm of the City.”

February 8, 2017 3:41 PM

Lagos Theatre Festival remains one of the most diverse and exciting events of its kind and will continue to present the best in contemporary and classic work from leading artists

British Council announces 2017 Lagos Theatre Festival

There will be something for everyone; from the new theatre fans young or old and returning visitors to the Festival. With 109 shows, 35 companies and 5,500 theatre goers attending in 2016, Lagos Theatre Festival remains one of the most diverse and exciting events of its kind and will continue to present the best in contemporary and classic work from leading artists.

This edition of the Lagos Theatre Festival will portray the rhythm, soul and sights of Lagos. The theme was selected to capture through performance, the sounds of Lagos expressed in the comings and goings, the repetitive activities and the music of the city. We will be seeing works that reflect specific auditory perspectives like noises, rhythm, beats, language, etc. from a range of socio economic and geographic groupings across Lagos.

This year, there will be 5 curated shows from the UK and Nigeria in the festival. Four of the curated shows are winning scripts from the playwriting competition won by James Ene- Henshaw, Joy Isi Bewaji, Bode Asiyanbi, Paul Ugbede. The plays will be produced by; Crown Troupe of Africa, Beeta Universal Productions, Tunji Sotimirin and Oxzygen Koncepts following grants awarded by the British Council. The fringe shows will see 35 companies from Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe showcase work from all genres in the performing arts.

These include comedy, experiential theatre, musical and Drama. Ojoma Ochai, Director Arts, British Council said “We are very proud of what Lagos Theatre Festival has achieved in terms of being a platform through which the Nigerian theatre sector engages with the rest of the world.

This year’s festival will see visitors from International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts (IETM) , International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) and festival management organisations from around the UK like Walk the Plank , London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) and institutions like Edinburgh Napier University – all possible only because the LTF platforms exists not just to show great work, but to ensure that international exchange and collaboration happens” Kenneth Uphopho, Festival Director, Lagos Theatre Festival said “it's become much more than a festival.