Nigerian theatre company is set to present a play inspired by the story of Leah Sharibu at South Africa’s premier international theatre festival for young audiences.
Arojah Royal Theatre, one of Nigeria’s leading independent theatre companies, will represent Nigeria at the Cradle of Creativity Festival 2026, presented by ASSITEJ South Africa at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The festival, which brings together theatre-makers from South Africa, Africa and beyond, runs from 31 August to 6 September 2026, with Arojah Royal Theatre’s LEAH scheduled for performances on 4, 5 and 6 September at the Barney Simon Theatre, The Market Theatre.
The production, written and directed by Jerry Adesewo, is inspired by the true-life story of Leah Sharibu, the Nigerian schoolgirl abducted by Boko Haram alongside more than 100 other girls from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, in February 2018. While most of the abducted girls were subsequently released, Leah remained in captivity, and uncertainty has continued to surround her fate.
In LEAH, Adesewo transforms this unresolved national memory into a theatrical exploration of courage, faith, resilience, education, memory and the enduring consequences of conflict on children and young people.
According to the festival programme, the play traces Leah’s journey from a carefree schoolgirl in Dapchi through her abduction, captivity, forced marriage and motherhood, while foregrounding the resilience and hope that sustain her. The production also gives voice to countless girls and young people affected by conflict and displacement.
The Johannesburg presentation comes at a particularly significant moment for the Cradle of Creativity. The 2026 edition marks the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, when young people took to the streets in protest against apartheid education policies. The festival is consequently placing young people’s courage, activism, creativity and capacity for transformation at the centre of its artistic programme.
For Arojah Royal Theatre, participation in the festival offers an opportunity to place a distinctly Nigerian story within a broader African and international conversation about children, conflict, human rights, memory and the transformative possibilities of theatre.
“LEAH is ultimately about remembering,” says Jerry Adesewo, playwright, director and Artistic Director of Arojah Royal Theatre. “It is about what happens when a young person disappears, and the world gradually moves on. Theatre allows us to bring Leah back into the public consciousness, not by pretending to know what happened to her, but by refusing to allow her name and story to disappear.”
The production features Folashade Olafisoye as Leah, with Ezra Ibrahim as Commander/Captor and Music/Assistant Director; Banji Joshua Olayiwola as Shuaib/Idris, drummer and Stage Manager; Felicia Fadeke Jerry-Adesewo handling costume, make-up and administration, in addition to playing as Mama Leah; and Pope Egbuche serves as Technical Director.
