Ferdinand Ekechukwu
A classic theatrical work from the stable of Doyenne Circle will see the Queen of Nigerian music, Onyeka Onwenu grace the stage at the Agip Hall, Muson Centre, Lagos on January 1st. Alongside other prominent Nollywood veterans and amazons like Patience Ozokwor, Kate Henshaw, Onwenu will be singing, dancing and acting as they bring their bare creative ingenuity to this intriguing stage play dubbed “Speaking Out”.
The 30-act all-female cast musical, explores and highlights the journey of the girl child from birth, through childhood and adulthood, to motherhood. Beginning with a celebration of the birth of the girl child, ‘Speaking Out’ takes a roller-coaster ride through her daunting growth in a largely gender sensitive environment, an earlier release states further.
This inequitable society plagues her every step, from the celebration of her birth, through such typical challenges as child labour, education, female trafficking, dating, sex, spousal abuse, divorce and single motherhood. Singed but tireless, she emerges through all the odds with her daughter, stronger with dignity and pride, determined to live her life in full. The stage play promises a 360 experience, using spectacular dance, poetry, design, popular and traditional music and song.
It is a magnificent piece of work written and compiled by Chukwuma Okoye from the original works of Tony Marinho, using a plethora of the total female experience to tell a story driven by a musical force, as directed by the award-winning founder and director of Lagos and Abuja, Kenneth Uphopho.
Ecstatic about the cast selection and the exuberance they will bring through a combination of acting, singing and dancing, Okoye is particularly passionate about what each cast will be bringing to the success of the show. Set to hit the stage from January 1 to 3, 2022, at Agip Hall, Muson center, Lagos, Speaking Out is already garnering the much deserved attention within the industry with throngs of females filling up the casting call for auditions.
This is definitely one to open the year with and will set precedence for the performance and entertainment industry in the New Year while offering the audience the hope and inspiration to navigate through the year.
Describing the stage play as spectacular, Prof Okoye has promised to leave the audience fulfilled and showcase the incredible and diverse cast of the woman, bringing all their talent to stage ranging from music, acting and dancing.
