Vagina Vagina

The Vagina Monologues is one of the more popular not to mention recurrent plays in Lagos, in a Nigerian adaptation known as V-Monologues.

Now that I'm here in Lagos, I constantly find myself quite involuntarily calling it 'Vagina Monologues' which is something people hardly ever do over here. The initial impulse seconds afterwards is to seek to apologise and say: "Sorry, in England we call it Vagina Monologues" (I find myself saying 'in England we...' a lot; relocation anxiety?). But I always resist this urge to apologise or explain. Instead I go all confrontational: "Why it is called V-Monologues here? It's Vagina! It's more honest, in-your-face for a supposedly in-your-face play, and it sounds better!"

And it does, but that's Naija for you. Perhaps the reason the corresponding male version is known as 'Tarzan Monologues' rather than the 'Penis Mono' - you know what.

Anyways, it's all on again, as the male and female versions go head-to-head at Terra Kulture, in Lagos, every Sunday at 3pm & 6pm. See the poster for details. Meanwhile, I'm still here saying: Vagina Monologues. Onwards ever.

Theatre @ Terra

Venue
Terra Kulture
Tiamiyu Savage Street
Victoria Island
Lagos

Produced by Wole Oguntokun
A Terra Kulture/Jasonvision/Hyve Ltd Collaboration

For tickets and enquiries, please call 0702 836 7228, 0808 123 9477
or e-mail laspapi@yahoo.com

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Sunday-Sunday Drama

Excerpt from Toyin Akinosho's Artsville column of yesterday...
"Now, Live Drama Happens Every Sunday
- THE playwright Wole Oguntokun and the arts promoter Bolanle Austen-Peters have revived a 50-year-old idea to have a drama performance in a respectable venue in the city of Lagos at least once every weekend. Theatre at Terra is the latest incarnation of the initiative that gave rise to a period of sustained performances at the J.K. Randle Hall in Onikan in the 60s and the birthing of J. P. Clark's Pec Repertory Theatre in the same venue 26 years ago. In October, which is the second month, Theatre At Terra will feature Femi Osofisan's The Engagement (October 7), Zulu Sofola's Wizard Of The Law (October 14) and two plays by Ahmed Yerima: Yemoja (October 21) and The Twist (October 28). Theatre At Terra grew out of Oguntokun's Season Of Soyinka's Plays, a one off series of live drama performances over four weekends at Terra Kulture last August. At the end of the well-attended Season, produced in commemoration of the Nobel Laureate's 73rd birthday, the collaborators realised they had hit upon a do-able project. There are thousands of Nigerian plays all over the place; why not take one each every weekend and breathe life into it? Terra Kulture has always been considered a smart place to hang out, especially by the Lagos Peppersoup Elite (roughly defined as the species of middle class Nigerians who earn 150,000 plus a month and can afford to travel for holidays once a year). So, getting an audience to fill the 100 seats in the auditorium for N2,000 each has not been extraordinarily difficult. Even so, to put quality work on stage requires more than the N200,000 guaranteed by a full hall."

The first in this month's Theatre@ Terra 'A Gathering of Eagles' productions, Femi Osofisan's The Engagement (directed by Sunkanmi Adebayo), was performed yesterday @ Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Coming highlights this month

• Sunday October 14 - The Wizard of Law by Zulu Sofola (directed by Gbenga Adekanmbi);
• Sunday October 21 - Yemoja by Ahmed Yerima (directed by Segun Adefila); and
• Sunday October 28 - The Twist by Ahmed Yerima (directed by Theatre@ Terra convener, Wole Oguntokun).

Guarantee Trust Bank's sponsorship may be in the offing to keep this important new initiative going. More info...