Joke Silva, Kate Henshaw, Bimbo Akintola, Ifeoma Fafunwa Bring Hear Word To Theaters
The newsworthy theatre production of Hear Word- Naija Woman Talk True has opened since May 1 to for its sophomore run with a special performance planned for University of Lagos campus. The show premiered on May 1, 2015 at the MUSON Centre and will run subsequent productions every Friday and Saturday in the month of May including satellite performances in public spaces around Lagos.
Based on a collection of true-life stories, the episodic Hear Word is a poignant, joyous and emotionally charged showcase of female selfdiscovery and the numerous challenges facing Nigerian Women. Examining social practices and beliefs that oppress reject and limit the potential Nigerian women, HEAR WORD! Successfully inspires women to move beyond barriers and realize their full potential in order to contribute to decision-making and nation building.
Produced and directed by Ifeoma Fafunwa, the show generously serves up powerful performances from a cast of extraordinary Nigerian actresses- Joke Silva, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, Kate Henshaw, Bimbo Akintola, Omonor, Elvina Ibru, Deborah Ohiri, Lala Akindoju, Zara Udofia, Rita Edward, Ufuoma McDermott and Odenike. The costumes are by the talented Ituen Basi whose designs bring classic style to the edge of modernity.
The play, which premiered last year with resounding reviews for its emotional acuity and honesty, was praised as a catalyst for the much need conversation surrounding gender issues in Nigeria irrespective of socio-economic status.
Founded in 2014 by Ifeoma Fafunwa, iOpenEye is a production company aimed at showcasing the best of Nigerian performance art that challenges the status quo with a focus on empowering women and transforming society. “I am so humbled and inspired by the gift of Hear Word - The amazing actresses who just keep giving, the incredible response from the audience and the inspiring support of our sponsors. The stories featured in Hear Word are based on the everyday realities of Nigerian women. It is our hope that by lending our voices to theirs, that we can amplify the reach and begin to transform realities. I am truly grateful to be a part of this process”, Fafunwa said.
Hear Word is a collection of skits based on the true-life experiences of inequality from Nigerian women from different regions and walks of life. Humorous and poignant, the stories reveal deep social, political and cultural norms that confine and limit the potential of women across Africa and the diaspora.
In the heat of the 2015 electioneering campaign, Chief Tony Okoroji, artiste, author, Intellectual Property activist and nationalist, in sweet prose, wrote a running commentary published every week on the pages of Saturday Independent and subsequently posted on the Internet. There were many for whom a Saturday morning was incomplete without reading the deep thoughts of this master of words with a unique style. Some say that he saw the future. The truth is that the gentleman of uncanny intellect predicted nearly everything that eventually happened in the elections
By popular demand, Okoroji’s articles have been compiled into a book with never before seen illustrations that relieve the serious moments, the comic events, the intrigues, the key personalities and the top contradictions that made the 2015 electioneering campaign an unforgettable confrontation with extraordinary suspense.
Every individual interested in the political history of Nigeria ought to read this book titled “On The Road To Change”. In it will be found the foretelling of the factors that led to the first electoral defeat of an incumbent Head of State in Nigerian history and the takeover of the political landscape by APC.
“On The Road To Change” will be launched at a five star event holding at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Sunday, May 24, 2015, the beginning of the week of the handover of the reins of power to General Muhammadu Buhari.