By Dike Chukwumerije
To get to Benin, my cast and crew endured a harrowing road trip, late into the night and in the rain, from Abuja through the dreaded Okpila. On our way to Yola, I got to the airport only to be told that our flight had been postponed to a time that would make it impossible for us to stage the show we had been advertising for weeks. So, I had to close my eyes and buy new tickets for 15 people on the spot from another airline, and spend the next 6 months trying to recover my money from the other one. In Bonny, I was struck down by severe malaria and did the show with the sheer help of will power, going straight from the airport to the hospital the second we touched down. For Umuahia, it was the Year of Covid, but we said to ourselves – a whole year shall not pass us by without us going out there, by faith, by fire. On the road to Makurdi, we got caught up in an accident and detained for 4 hours at a police station for something we knew nothing about. I tell you, what I hate the most about all this is to finish the show – after all this, after all the stress of getting there and doing it – and for somebody to walk up to me right afterwards, and start saying, ‘Oh my God! I did not know it would be like this. I swear! I have never seen anything like this before! No, no! More people have to see this! Yes o! You have to do this again! I swear this time I will drag all my friends with me! Please! Please! Na beg I dey beg, WHEN ARE YOU COMING BACK AGAIN?’
Coming back again?? Hian, my sister, did you not just read the post? Please. I take God beg you – for both our sakes – drag all your friends out with you the first time round, eh? Me too, na beg I dey beg. In fact the two knee dey ground. You no see?
Date: Sat. 29 Jan 2022
Time: 5pm
Venue: Wole Soyinka Theatre Hall, University of Ibadan
Tickets: N2k regular, N1k students with ID
First 112 students with ID enter for free!
