7th Lagos Theatre Festival Ends Amidst Pomp

HARRISON IYOHA

The 7th edition of the Lagos Theatre Festival (LTF), which was held from the 27th of February to 1st of March, 2020 indeed left an indelible memory in the hearts of every participant.

The festival which was themed ‘Going Out Of Bounds’ opened on Thursday, 27th February 2020 with a ceremony at the Terra Kulture Arena and had all the LTF Board of Directors; Bolanle Austen-Peters, David Evans, Joke Silva, Ojoma Ochai, Supo Shasore and Tosin Oshinowo present amidst actors, playwrights, poets, producers, directors, and other stakeholders.

The Lagos Theatre Festival 2020 featured an overall rich menu of theatrical performances across all the genres of performing arts including dance, spoken word, comedy, tragedy, poetry, dialogue, and monologue amongst many others.

LTF’s knack for providing maximum satisfaction came to fore but this time, went out of bounds as attendees had their fill with the humor, suspense, intrigue, anxiety, vital lessons, and overall creativity presented in the various plays during the day, and they unwind to the sensational musical performances during the concerts at night.

Asides Freedom Park on Broad Street Lagos Island, which is the main venue for this event, no fewer than 130 performances were rendered by over 200 performers in 20 different venues like the African Artist Foundation, Victoria Island; the National Museum, Onikan; British Council, Ikoyi; Alliance Française, Ikoyi, and Shodex Garden, Anthony.

Founded by the British Council in 2013, the LTF has been an international rallying point for performers drawn from Nigeria, the US, UK, Europe, and Africa at large. What makes the festival unique is the use of unconventional space for performances.

The Executive Director of the Lagos Theatre Festival, Bikiya Graham-Douglas had this to say:

“We remain committed to being the springboard for the performing arts in Nigeria and will continue to ensure theatre remains at the forefront of entertainment whilst fostering collaboration and partnership across borders. To organize Festivals like this requires funding and we always need supporters for its success. Whilst we thank all our sponsors and partners, we wish to specially recognize the British Council and Freedom Park for their commitment to LTF since its inception”.

Projecting towards next year’s edition, the Artistic Director of the Lagos Theatre Festival, Lydia Idakula Sobogun said:

“We plan to carry on with activities throughout the year that push the theme of the 2020 festival and puts us on the path for next year’s festival and next year’s theme (which we are already extremely excited about) with activities that will result in positive, tangible outcomes”. 

The Lagos Theatre Festival ended on a remarkable note leaving participants savouring the unforgettable experience and also anticipating the 8th edition of the festival.