You know I have called her the mother of modern Nigerian theatre, and people will be vexing. But that is how we are in Nigeria — we can vex for small thing. Anyhow, Bolanle has been nothing but an inspiration. It was my former friend — we are keeping malice now — Niyi Adesanya, her cousin, who first took me to her. Prior to that, I had not really heard of her like that before. He was the one that said, “Ohhhh, you want to do theatre? Let me take you to my sister Bolanle,” and I said, “Oya na.”
She was petite and beautiful with a warm smile. We sat at a table at her now very famous Terra Kulture, and we spoke. She stutters very gently, almost without notice, but likes to make a point with well-chosen words. I liked her instantly, and she invited me to her first play, Saro the Musical.
Prior to this, I had had a love–hate relationship with theatre, having been introduced to it by my extremely beautiful paramour, Toyin, while at the University of Ibadan. Because I was enamoured by her unique beauty, I would saunter into the Theatre Arts Department at the legendary university to either wait for her or watch a production she was participating in. But then she broke my heart, having fallen in love with the very ugly Banji, who happened to be the biggest actor on campus. With a broken heart, I cancelled anything theatre in my life.
Saro was madddd. The hall was filled to the rafters, and for the first time ever, people were scalping tickets for a Nigerian theatre show.
The show itself was lit, and the aesthetics were brilliant. This, for me, marked the beginning of a new dawn in the Nigerian theatre space. Nigerian theatre had witnessed a remarkable downturn after the exit of the Nigerian International Bank series. That huge bank had taken it upon itself to fund theatre for years, climaxing with the show that featured the South African troupe, Umoja, with their big naked breasts. Ohhh my God, did I watch that show? I watched it every day, as the boobs had a very unique fascination with my wild imagination.
Anyway, fraught with different challenges, including a lack of harmonisation between sponsors and thespians, the bank shut it down and Nigerian theatre went back to “abe igi.”
Saro blew open the space, and Bolanle announced, in a very brilliant way, the beginning of a new epoch. She has since dropped massive productions like Fela and the Kalakuta Queens, cementing her leadership position in the market and giving me a run for my money.
When I first started, I told myself that I would topple her. I would overtake her. But today, I give up. As I move one step, she moves three. Her approach is very eclectic, and her reach spans the globe.
Not resting on her oars, she moved into movies with the chilling film on the Ebola wahala — 93 Days — which starred my brother Yemi Shodimu in his first major non-Yoruba-speaking role. No mind me ooo, I am just yabbing him ooo.
93 Days was adjudged by Netflix to be in the top 10 global chart for non-English films. Other works like The Bling Lagosians, which was massive, also entered the matter. My bestie Elvina Ibru did wonders in that movie.
Bolanle today straddles two worlds very comfortably — film and stage — throwing her up for numerous awards and recognitions both local and international.
Some of these global recognitions include being named the “Queen of Nigerian Theatre” by CNN and as one of Africa’s Most Influential Women by Forbes Afrique.
She currently hosts the Lagos International Theatre Festival, which has attracted over 25,000 attendees, and she is also the spirit behind Terra Academy, which has trained over 26,000 thespians in three states — Lagos, Ogun and Kano.
She is married to the very publicity-shy Adegboyega Austen-Peters, who I must say I have spoken to only four times in my life — one being when I begged him to help me plead with his very famous and influential father-in-law, Chief Afe Babalola, whom I had annoyed with a very stupid article. He refused, lol. She and her husband have two kids: Tamilayo and Tifeoluwa.
What most people do not know is that Bolanle is of very rich pedigree, being the scion of the world-famous Chief Afe Babalola, SAN — one of Africa’s greatest educators and legal luminaries. Her mother was also a judge and a military officer, which led her to attend Command Secondary School before embarking on a law degree from the University of Lagos, topping it up with a Master’s in International Law from the London School of Economics.
She began her career at her father’s law firm, Afe Babalola & Co., then jumped into international work at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, where she served in New York, Ethiopia, and Namibia. She also consulted for the Ford Foundation in Lagos, raising funds for museum development, amongst other things.
She established Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions in 2013, and since then, we no hear word o.
Power oozes from her every thought and action, and it is no wonder the Federal Government tapped her to be the opening act at the reopening of the multi-trillion-naira National Theatre — an action that is still paining me as we speak.
My bad belle aside, no one can contest her huge power and influence over a sector that she personally grabbed and pushed back into global reckoning, hence her nomination and inclusion on the MaddTimes Power List.
Well done, my sister.
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