Easily the best play I’ve seen this year, STARS is orgasmic in that it’s joyous, sensational and you really don’t want it to end. Mojisola Adebayo is giving us queer, working class, postcolonial, feminist afro-futuristic theatre, a genre I didn’t think could exist, but this is what this play is capable of, new frontiers and my goodness is it delightfully radical too. I savoured every second, from the moment I sank into the beanbags at the ICA to the musical interludes directed by Debo Adebayo. You can watch the sibling duo here chatting through their influences growing up and the vision behind creating STARS, “a concept album on stage” born on a night out in Dublin.
Founded in 1997 by British Nigerian actor Femi Elifowuju Jr, tiata fahodzi, meaning ‘theatre of the emancipated’, has been a leading force in regards to producing works placing the British African experience centre stage. Nearly 25 years on, their initiatives expanding on this crucial mission. Previous Artistic Director alumni including critically acclaimed actor Lucian Msamati, and current Artistic Director and CEO of the Northern Stage Theatre Natalie Ibu. Leading tiata fahodzi into their next chapter, critically acclaimed theatre and screenwriter Chinonyerem Odimba has recently announced a new Executive Director and Board of Trustees. Chinonyerem Tells us more about the appointment and what her hopes are for the theatre company moving forward.