Temi Adeyemi: Funding Withdrawal Biggest Threat to Theatre
The decline in financial support from corporate organisations and foundations has emerged as the most pressing challenge confronting theatre and stage performance today, threatening the sustainability of the creative industry. Yet, amid these constraints, productions like The Disciple by Boatseed Productions continue to keep the art form alive. Staged recently in Lagos, the play delivers a gripping narrative of ambition, faith, betrayal, and redemption. Playwright and co-producer Temi Adeyemi speaks on its vision and journey, in this exclusive chat with Sunday Okobi
What is the inspiration behind the play ‘The Disciple’, and what message is the public- mostly Christians looking for divine succour in Nigeria-expecting from the play?
The inspiration for The Disciple is a reimagining of the Passion of Christ, told through the lens of a reality TV business competition in the style of The Apprentice. The play centres on the journeys of several key figures involved in the events leading up to the crucifixion, but reframes their motivations and choices within the context of ambition, competition, and the pursuit of purpose. Just as contestants on The Apprentice compete to prove their worth and earn a coveted role, the characters in our production are vying to be named The Disciple-the chosen right hand to the ultimate authority, represented here by God.
The goal is not simply to retell a familiar religious story, but to offer audiences-Christian or otherwise-a fresh and deeply relatable perspective. The Easter story is not merely a religious account; it is a profound cultural narrative that belongs to all of humanity. By situating it in a modern, recognisable framework, we hope to illuminate what was truly at stake for each character, invite audiences to see themselves in those characters, and encourage meaningful reflection on how we each relate to this timeless account. The sacrifice of Christ remains absolutely central to the story, but The Disciple also draws attention to the very human drama that surrounded it-the ambition, the loyalty, the fear, and the faith.
The effort put into the play is immense. What does the production team want to achieve in the end?
The production has required the dedication of many people, significant resources, and no small amount of sacrifice-and it has all been driven by one core ambition: to give families a shared, meaningful theatrical experience. We believe there is a real gap in the market for content that the whole family can enjoy together-productions that are neither too childish for parents nor too mature for children. The Disciple is recommended for ages 10 and above, though younger children attending with parental guidance are also likely to engage with and enjoy the show.
We want families to come together, to be entertained, to laugh and reflect, and to leave the theatre having shared something genuinely impactful. Beyond the entertainment, the play carries powerful lessons drawn from one of the most significant stories ever told- lessons about integrity, ambition, courage, and redemption that are as relevant today as they have ever been.
We are also proud to share that we have partnered with schools to make the experience freely accessible to children, because we believe that theatre should be a formative part of every young person’s life, not a privilege reserved for the few.
What are the possible challenges facing stage play performance in this era? And is there anything else the audience would have known about the play?
The most significant challenge facing theatre and stage performance today is the withdrawal of financial support from corporate organisations and foundations that once championed the arts. Funding that previously sustained productions, venues, and creative careers has steadily dried up, and the consequences are far-reaching. What is often underestimated is the role that theatre plays in education and character formation. Older generations consistently recall attending the theatre as a natural, enriching part of their upbringing-not as a luxury, but as a cornerstone of a well-rounded education. It cultivated creativity, empathy, lateral thinking, and a capacity for reflection. By allowing this art form to fade from public life, we risk depriving younger generations of something genuinely formative. Theatre heals, it builds character, it opens minds — and it also sustains livelihoods across the creative industries.
Our hope is that The Disciple plays a small but meaningful role in reawakening Nigerians’ relationship with the stage-and particularly in reintroducing theatre to children who have never had the opportunity to experience it. Through our partnership with schools, we are actively working to ensure that this generation of young people does not have to wait decades for their next theatrical encounter, as has sadly become the norm.
From the character of God to the evicted Judas Iscariot in the ‘The Disciple’, please can you explain how they were able to express the spirit of sacrifice, faith, loyalty, betrayal, fear and redemption (individually) in the play?
A number of the characters display various elements of these qualities. Firstly, Prince de Paz, who is based on the character of Jesus Christ, is portrayed as a defence lawyer passionate about ensuring the welfare of people who are being ill-treated and whose rights are being taken away from them. The ultimate sacrifice made by Prince de Paz mirrors the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ for mankind.
In regard to loyalty, the character of Simon is spoken of as being deeply loyal to Prince de Paz, with a strong desire to protect and follow him, ultimately in a way that causes him to sacrifice himself, leaving behind his own ambitions to instead become an example of selflessness for others. This contrasts with his initial position, which was driven by a desire to win the coveted title of ‘The Disciple’, proving the winner to be the top disciple. The example of betrayal comes in the form of the character, Judas Iscariot, who seeks to undermine the task set for the other contestants. His motivation is revenge for having been dismissed from the reality tv business show, compounded by his pursuit of wealth and status — the kind of ambitions we see in our society today that can lead people to make wrong decisions about how to gain power and riches. Fear is embodied particularly by the team known as ‘The Brothers’, which includes characters Simon Petra, James, and John Zeebeedee, who are all afraid of being associated with Prince de Paz to avoid imprisonment or mistreatment-even though they knew they ought to be standing up for what is right. This reflects something many of us face in life: knowing that something is wrong, yet fearing the consequences of speaking out, because doing so makes us a target of those who wish to perpetuate wrongdoing.
Redemption ultimately comes through Simon Petra, who, having failed the task set for him and his team, sacrifices his own pursuit of the cover title, but is ultimately rewarded for this-very much in line with the scripture that says he who lays his life down will gain it, and he who saves his life will lose it.
The quality of the costumes and performances, as well as the diction of the characters was top-notch. How did you and your team put that together?
Interestingly, the male costumes were mainly designed by Juliana Dede approximately 12 years ago and were used in my very first production, The Story of Joseph. Fortunately, I had kept them safely stored, making them reusable for this production. She did a remarkable job of creating quality costumes that have lasted over a decade and remain fully intact.
The ladies’ costumes were made by designer Lara Diamond, who very generously contributed them to the show as a sponsor, and also allowed us to conduct a sort of fashion show at the beginning of the play, showcasing her beautiful and colourful designs-a wonderful complement to the men’s costumes.
As the setting of the play is a business environment, it was important that the costumes had a corporate look. Being a modern setting, we wanted the outfits to resemble suits that one could realistically buy and wear today. In fact, the ladies’ suits are available for purchase for anyone who may be interested.
One costume that stood out as slightly different was that of the character Angelique, who represents an angel. Her costume featured puff sleeves to subtly suggest wings, and she wore an off-white dress-the designer’s elegant way of distinguishing her as an angelic figure rather than just a businesswoman like the rest of the female characters.
Regarding the diction, this was something we had to work on quite deliberately. A number of our cast members are new and upcoming faces who are still gaining experience in the industry. As an actor myself, I stepped in to assist the director by giving the cast a masterclass, providing them with quick and practical tools to help them perform clearly-to speak clearly and ensure that every word they say is heard by the audience. This requires time and practice, and must also be applied to singing, so that the words within the songs are equally audible. I believe the tools given to the actors are something they can carry forward beyond this production and apply to all their future works.
Were you satisfied with the turnout of the spectators?
As the very first production of this scale, we were extremely pleased with the outcome, particularly in terms of audience turnout. It was interesting to note that the 2 p.m. shows were the fuller shows, even though the 5 p.m. shows also drew significant numbers-ensuring that the cast had a good audience to perform to, which makes a real difference to their sense of being appreciated and acknowledged after so many weeks of rehearsal and hard work.
We were, of course, very intentional about filling the space and employed various strategies focused not only on ticket sales, but on simply getting people through the doors. Thankfully, ticket sales were also very healthy. We additionally distributed a number of complimentary tickets to various organisations, particularly to school children and to the corporate partners who sponsored the show.
It was a joy to see so many people come out to support us, including numerous friends and family members, who came to encourage me, Mrs. Femi George (our executive producer); the cast, and the crew, in recognition of the hard work that had gone into the production over the preceding two months. Putting together a performance of this standard within just two months is virtually unheard of, and the result stands as a testament to the importance of having ‘faith in God’, and to the extraordinary commitment and dedication shown by everyone involved.
What’s the most challenging part of the organisation of the play?
Ordinarily, the most challenging aspect of organising any play is securing sponsorship and financing. Putting on a production of this quality is an expensive undertaking, but we were very fortunate to have been sponsored by Lagos State Tourism, Arts and Culture Department, as well as MTN, and other organisations that came to our aid in support of the theatre. Without their generous sponsorship, meeting all the costs associated with staging a production of this nature-costs that many people cannot begin to imagine or appreciate — would have been an enormous struggle. We are truly grateful for that support.
Because we were fortunate enough not to have to bear too much of the financial burden ourselves, the most challenging element shifted to ensuring that there would be enough people in the theatre space-that we would not find ourselves performing in an empty house. It, therefore, became very important to have clear strategies in place to get people through the doors, so that audiences could come and experience the work, and so that the cast and crew could also see that all of their hard work had not been in vain.
In addition to those strategies, we employed the usual channels of marketing, including social media, radio, television, and editorial coverage. We are particularly grateful to the likes of Channels Television, Classic FM, and of course THISDAY newspapers, for helping us get the word out and raise awareness of the show. Social media, has become an essential component of marketing any kind of event, whether theatre or otherwise, and I am truly grateful to have had a strong and hardworking social media team that worked tirelessly to create a sense of excitement and appetite among those who would have been interested in the kind of content we were offering. All of these elements played a significant role and presented their own challenges, as it was ultimately essential that people not only knew about the show, but felt compelled enough to buy a ticket and attend.
