Next year, in October, I’ll be in America, executing my Play, Uda Nkwa
Houston, Texas, to be precise.
The Play was written and directed by Dr Erojikwe Ikechukwu, who is rated top 5 in the space
The play was first shown in the ancient town of Arochukwu and later in Lagos, where it mesmerised the crowd
Sometime last week, His Eminence Eberechukwu Oji, the Eze Aro of Arochukwu, placed a call to me and said, ” Duke, Houston is waiting for you and I said Oya
During the week, we interviewed two brilliant Nigerian-American thespians, one a professor and the other a very popular actor, to serve as our on-site producer.
By next week, we will finalise budgeting, and work will start in earnest
When they revoked my US Visa, they sent me a mail asking me to reapply , I ignored stating very clearly that since they just revoked my visa after 10 years of travelling to the US for no cause, I will not go and beg, when im ready, Ill work in with dignity, get my visa and go there with my head held up high
The time has come, and in style will i storm America.
Uda Nkwa will scatter America. Its pulsating dance and beautiful scripting will make all Africans wake up to the reality of their greatness
I have drafted brilliant Tayo Elesin, our UK Producer, to strengthen the US move
Shebi, I have said it before that this thing will grow bigger than anybody can imagine
Let me use this opportunity to say this here
With our size – over 50 plays, worked with over 2,000 thespians and executed in more locations than any other production house in the last 10 years, Institutional support is still not coming towards us
Instead, it’s going to less prolific, more connected players, which really gladdens our hearts, cos it allows them to keep paying
We sweat for every dollar we spend outside of this country – Kashimawo, we bought 13 air tickets with raw Naira cash
Every show we put together, we beg, plead, and borrow to deliver on our promise
We will go to America with no institutional support, cos we are made of a different cloth
We are sturdy, stubborn and mad, and at the end of the day, we will have no big Government to bend down to and say thank you
We will, however, thank our 10,000-strong community that keeps standing with us – 30 people led by Aigboje Aig Imoukhuede, fully funded Kashimawo – for without them, Nigerian theatre will remain a blip or at best an industry standing on a pillar erected at Tiamuyi Savage St.
Come to America with us, but first meet us in London next August and be part of the Nigerian Renaissance
Thanks
Duke of Shomolu
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