Inua Ellams' play about the bond between an enslaved woman and her former master, marking the creation of Nigeria.
Once Upon a Time in Sokoto is coming to Leeds Playhouse from Wednesday 11 to Saturday 14 November. It's a new play by Inua Ellams, the Nigeria-born poet and playwright who wrote Barber Shop Chronicles, The 14th Tale and a retelling of Three Sisters. This one won the 2024 Alfred Fagon Award.
The story is an epic that stretches across forty years of Nigerian history, following the unlikely bond between an enslaved woman and her former master. It's described as a tale of friendship, family and the creation of Nigeria, and the reviews it's picked up so far give you a sense of the scale: The Guardian called it 'exuberant and engaging', while The Stage described it as 'an ambitious fly-through of 40 years of Nigerian history'.
Ellams wrote it, and Roy Alexander Weise directed it. The cast includes Adeola Yemitan as Nafisa, Antonia Layiwola as Zinari, Bayo Gbadamosi as Hadiru and Will Atiomo as Yusef. The production is presented in association with Touring Together, a national programme by China Plate and Fuel in collaboration with Brighton Dome, Leeds Playhouse, Oxford Playhouse, Royal and Derngate, Northampton and Warwick Arts Centre, and supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the Garrick Charitable Trust.
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There are five performances in total: Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November all start at 7.45pm, and Saturday 14 has a 2.30pm matinee followed by a 7.45pm evening show. BSL interpreted and CAP captioned performances are available. You'll find the Playhouse at Playhouse Square, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UP.
