RMD, Tomoloju, other Thespians to celebrate Ajofest '86 at 40

The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts — formerly the National Theatre — Lagos will host an array of theatre practitioners on Sunday, November 1 as they come together to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ajofest ’86.

The memorable festival was powered by veteran legal practitioner and creative writer, Dr. Fred Agbeyegbe, featuring the performance of four plays written by him.

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The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts — formerly the National Theatre — Lagos will host an array of theatre practitioners on Sunday, November 1 as they come together to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ajofest ’86.“Ajofest ’86 was a bold act of private investment in Nigerian theatre, and its plays spoke truth at a critical time in our national life,” said Dr. Lillian Agbeyegbe. “Forty years later, we want to honour the visionaries who built it, preserve their first hand stories, and pass that rich legacy to the next generation.”While the organisers say admission is free, online participation is available at https://bit.ly/4dpVSoJ.***

The plays – The King Must Dance Naked, Woe Unto Death, The Last Omen, and Budiso – were performed before sold-out audiences at the National Theatre, Iganmu. The shows featured actors who went on to become leading names in Nigerian theatre, film and Nollywood, including Richard Mofe-Damijo, Antar Laniyan, Ayo Lijadu, Lara Akinsola and Sola Awojobi among others.

According to a statement by Lillian Agbeyegbe, Coordinator, Organising Committee of Ajofest ’86 – 40 Years Later, iconic dramatist and former Arts Editor of The Guardian, Ben Tomoloju, will deliver the keynote address, while other stage and screen legends like Richard Mofe-Damijo, Ayo Lijadu, Yomi Layinka, and Lara Akinsola will serve as panelists.

“UK-based Dr. Lookman Sanusi will moderate the session. Professor Segun Ojewuyi, Dr. Tunji Sotimirin, Godwin Onohwosa, Jahman Anikulapo, and Adeniran Makinde, FTA, will share reflections on Ajofest ’86. Dramatic readings from all four featured festival plays will be coordinated by NANTAP-affiliated Crown Troupe of Africa. Tributes will honour Jide Ogungbade, Pero Sosan, Sola Awojobi, Victoria Ajomeyimje, Akpor Otebele and others,” the statement adds.

Titled Ajofest ’86 – 40 Years Later: Reunion and Reflections, the event will be held at Queen Amina Gardens, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, hosted in partnership with the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP). The programme will be streamed live online.

The afternoon brings together original cast and crew members, patrons, and a new generation of theatre practitioners for a keynote address, a panel on the festival’s legacy, tributes, reflections, and dramatic readings from all four featured festival plays.

In 1986, the National Theatre in Lagos hosted the Ajo Festival of Plays (Ajofest ’86): four consecutive weekends featuring four original productions – The King Must Dance Naked, Woe Unto Death, The Last Omen and Budiso. All four were written by Dr. Fred Agbeyegbe, who also served as executive producer.

Conceived and privately financed by Dr. Agbeyegbe through Ajo Productions, the festival drew capacity audiences with daring political satire staged under military rule. By its close in August 1986, the festival had solidified its place in cultural history and helped launch the careers of many of Nigeria’s most prominent stage and screen luminaries.

The original company was led by artistic director Jide Ogungbade, associate director Ben Tomoloju and stage manager Segun Ogunfidodo. The ensemble cast and crew included Christina Achebe, Yinka Adeyemo, Lara Akinsola, Sola Awojobi, Yomi Gbolagunte, Antar Laniyan, Ayo Lijadu, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Segun Ojewuyi, Akpor Otebele, Pero Sosan and Tunji Sotimirin. Several surviving members will return to participate in the November 1 programme.

With much of the festival’s legacy surviving primarily through oral memory, this commemoration seeks to document firsthand accounts, formally record its impact on Nigerian theatrical history, and bridge the dialogue between veteran pioneers and contemporary practitioners.

“Ajofest ’86 was a bold act of private investment in Nigerian theatre, and its plays spoke truth at a critical time in our national life,” said Dr. Lillian Agbeyegbe. “Forty years later, we want to honour the visionaries who built it, preserve their first hand stories, and pass that rich legacy to the next generation.”

“Partnering on this milestone underscores NANTAP’s commitment to honouring the foundations of modern Nigerian performance. Ajofest ’86 proved that independent theatre could thrive and reshape our cultural dialogue,” said Adeniran Makinde, FTA, National President of NANTAP.

All members of the arts community and the general public are invited, whether they were in the audience in 1986, on stage, or are discovering this history for the first time. The committee also encourages the public to share archival items – photographs, programmes, newspaper clippings, audio/video recordings and personal anecdotes – to help build a permanent public archive. Materials can be shared via the email address below.