Joachim Keke Is Reimagining Children’s Theatre in Lagos Through Drama and Afro-Contemporary Movement

Qudus Onikeku

At a time when children’s theatre in Nigeria struggles with structure, trained facilitators, and consistent investment, a fresh artistic voice is reshaping what young performers encounter in the classroom. Joachim Keke, a drama and movement instructor with the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy Nigeria, is bringing a new kind of energy into Lagos schools—one that blends structured drama education with the expressive, grounded language of Afro-contemporary movement.

Keke’s approach reflects both academic depth and wide-ranging professional experience. Holding a BA and MA in Theatre Arts, he trained extensively within Nigeria’s theatre landscape, including several years at Thespian Family Theatre. His work there spanned several of the nation’s most demanding productions: stage-managing Wole Soyinka’s Trials of Brother Jero, assisting on The Gods Are Not to Blame, performing in movement-driven pieces like 5 Maids of Fadaka and Mad King of Ijudiya, and directing the satirical Potupotu Republic.


During his master’s degree, he also understudied National Theatre director Josephine Igberase, whose commitment to youth performance shaped a generation of practitioners. These influences quietly surface in his classroom practice both in the discipline he cultivates and the generosity with which he guides his students.

Between 2014 and 2021, across several Lagos schools including Chrisland, Rainbow College, Grace Schools, and Grange, to mention but a few. Keke introduced children to drama through both body and voice. His sessions extended beyond the standard Helen O’Grady curriculum, weaving in rhythm, gesture, improvisation, and contemporary African movement vocabulary. “The body remembers things before the mouth speaks,” he often tells his young actors. He encourages them to feel character in their backs and shoulders, to let emotion travel through motion, and to understand that storytelling is a full-body activity.

This embodied approach remains rare in school-based drama programmes in Nigeria, where youth performance still centres heavily on text.

The results became increasingly visible year after year in the productions he helped shape Nativity in Wonderland, The Christmas Story, Love of Art, Parents Listen More, and the multicultural showcase Child International.
In Nativity in Wonderland, pupils who once faded quietly into the background now stepped forward with unexpected confidence, supported by light choreography that sharpened timing and ensemble awareness. Love of Art became a lively celebration of creativity, with small group movements turning simple scenes into vivid, imaginative pictures.
And in Parents Listen More, Keke drew surprisingly nuanced performances from his young cast. He guided them through a story that speaks softly but honestly about childhood and communication.
Teaching drama in Lagos schools, however, came with challenges of its own. Class sizes were often large, rehearsal time limited, and some administrators continued to view drama as an “extra” rather than a meaningful form of creative education. At times, the complexity of Keke’s Afro-contemporary phrases initially outpaced younger children’s coordination. But he adjusted quickly, simplifying movement without losing its cultural essence. His ability to adapt to whatever space and time were available became part of what made his teaching effective.

For Keke, “catch them young” was more than a slogan, it was the core of his practice. His workshops emphasised voice ownership, improvisational thinking, physical awareness, and collaborative empathy. Teachers frequently noted improvements in their students: sharper focus, increased confidence, better teamwork, and a greater willingness to take creative risks. Parents, too, observed meaningful shifts, children who communicated more openly, shared ideas at home, and felt less afraid to be seen.

What distinguished Keke’s work was the way Afro-contemporary movement flowed naturally into his teaching. In an educational system where arts learning is often undervalued and many extracurricular programmes rely heavily on individual initiative, his methods offered children more than performance skills. They offered cultural grounding, an affirmation that their bodies, rhythms, languages, and stories belonged on stage.

As 2021 draws to a close, Keke represents a growing wave of Nigerian practitioners pushing for richer, more expressive youth performance. His practice rooted in cultural identity, strengthened by hands-on theatre experience, and guided by an ethic of care, expanded what young performers in Lagos could imagine for themselves. And as he continued shaping these creative spaces with intention and curiosity, children’s theatre in Nigeria began to look, and feel, a little different.