From Lagos to the World: HOUSE OF NAIRA Musical Takes off in Lagos

Yinka Olatunbosun

A new collaborative project that would amplify the African theatrical landscape has been birthed. HOUSE OF NAIRA, an original musical from Nigerian playwright and director, Tosin Adeyemi is set unite yet again top-tier actors with years of experience in international theatre productions. Laden with rich symbolism as well as electrifying music, composed by Kehinde Oretimehin, the play is a metaphor on Nigeria. The play is set for May 17 and 18 at the Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos.

At the core of its plot is on a patriarch who, influenced by his mother’s traditionalist beliefs, marries four women — each from one of Nigeria’s major ethnic groups: Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and South-South. As love turns to rivalry, the household becomes a battlefield of competing identities, grievances, and emotional warfare. The man — symbolic of Nigeria itself — appears to succumb to the weight of it all, dying amid the chaos his home has become.

House of Naira, produced and created by Kabiyesi Studios in collaboration with D BO productions and The OTO entertainment company is a powerful new musical blending Afrobeat, traditional rhythms, and contemporary theatre. A stirring allegory of a divided nation seeking reconciliation, its final act, bears a surprise for the audience. Faced with the possibility of losing their shared future — their inheritance, their legacy, their identity — the women come to a powerful realisation: unity is their only path forward.

What follows is a moment of transformation. The wives — once divided by language, pride, and pain — pledge to work together in tolerance and solidarity. It is a hopeful, poetic resolution that mirrors the dream of a truly united Nigeria, forged not by force but by understanding and interdependence.

“This story is Nigeria,” says Adeyemi. “It’s raw, painful, beautiful — but also resilient. It asks what happens when we finally see beyond our own tribe, our own struggle, and realise we’re stronger together. It’s not just about one nation. It’s about any society wrestling with its identity.”

The music of HOUSE OF NAIRA is as diverse and resonant as the story itself, blending Afrobeat, Highlife, tribal percussion, choral traditions, and contemporary theatre scores. Audiences will be moved by its emotional depth, cultural richness, and moments of sheer theatrical spectacle — all guided by a world-class production team.

Elevating the show further is its extraordinary ensemble cast comprising international stage and screen veterans with over two decades of experience performing across Nigeria, the UK, the US, and South Africa. Their commanding performances bring authenticity, gravitas, and global relevance to a deeply local story.

The lead actor in the project, Ralph Okoro who also doubled as a web designer for the theatre production described the actors as ‘triple threat’ a term used to describe artists who can act, sing and dance.

“The musical is a collaborative project. I’m playing the role of a husband to four wives who symbolically represent the major tribes in Nigeria,” Okoro, who acted in the lead role also in Kakadu the Musical revealed.

Kakadu the musical went on tour in Switzerland and South Africa with a 50-man cast. Okoro said the production paved the way for his career in stage acting.

“Uche Nwokedi, the producer of Kakadu, helped me to come into the industry. Kakadu discovered me and brought me into this industry.”

Following its premiere at Terra Kulture in Lagos , HOUSE OF NAIRA is set for an international tour, with engagements in London, New York, and Johannesburg under negotiation. Plans for a film adaptation and global streaming partnership are also underway.

This is not just a show — it’s a movement. The production team is currently wooing investors and global partners to support what promises to be a defining work of African theatre that flows with cross-culture currents.