Tuning the Stage: How Jennifer Isi is Crafting Soundscapes From Lagos to the UK

By Jerry Chiemeke

In theatre, sound is more than technical support, it’s the emotional undercurrent, the mood-setter, the glue that holds performance together. For Okoeguale Jennifer, known in creative circles as Isi, sound is a language, and she’s been speaking it fluently from Lagos to London.

Her journey began at Terra Kulture, Nigeria’s cultural heartbeat. There, she worked on homegrown musicals like Saro, and contemporary pieces like Dear Kaffy. These are productions that demand not just technical skill but a sensitivity to story, rhythm, and African cultural texture. Sound in these settings isn’t just cues and playback, it’s pulse, it’s heritage. Isi learned that early.

As theatre in Nigeria matured, Isi matured with it. Her work on Fela & The Kalakuta Queens took her beyond Lagos, contributing to international stagings of Nigerian stories. She developed a knack for translating live energy into structured sonic experiences balancing traditional instruments, vocals, and atmospheric sound.

But it’s her transition to the UK theatre scene that reveals how far she’s come and where she’s headed. In 2022, she worked on Nine Night at Leeds and Persons of Interest in Manchester. These were not flashy debuts, they were intentional steps, collaborating with teams committed to diasporic narratives and black British theatre.

In 2023, Isi joined the sound team at Bristol Old Vic, one of the UK’s most respected producing theatres. Her work on Choir Boy was subtle but significant. A play driven by music, Choir Boy required technical finesse in live audio mixing and vocal arrangement. Isi helped deliver a soundscape that critics called “immersive and soul-stirring.” She wasn’t just behind the console she was shaping emotional beats.

Alongside this, she worked with Bristol Old Vic’s Young Company City project, supporting emerging talent and community productions. It’s a space where sound meets social engagement, and Isi’s contribution was more than technical, it was cultural bridge-building.
In 2024, she added Everything I Own at Brixton House and Hull Truck Theatre to her credits, confirming her versatility across venues and genres.

What makes Jennifer Isi’s path compelling is not just the trajectory, it’s the consistency of her craft, her ability to adapt, and her cultural grounding. At a time when the world is listening more attentively to African voices, her presence in UK theatre is timely and necessary.
She’s not just working, she’s curating experiences, reminding us that sound is not background, it’s story.