‘Fela and The Kalakuta Queens’, the successful musical about the Nigerian Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and his famed 27 wives, is set to premiere on the South African State Theatre’s YouTube channel from September 7, 2020.
Produced and directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters, the play’s new deal follows rave reviews and theatrical successes it has received, winning the hearts of theatre lovers in Lagos, Abuja, Cairo and Pretoria, South Africa.
However, its return to South Africa this time around is online, after a successful run recorded on live stage in Pretoria in March 2019.
It is a first for BAP and for the nascent Nigerian theatre scene, according to a statement made available to TCN, being the first time that a foreign country theatre company is running a Nigerian play on its online platform and monetizing it.
According to the South African State Theatre, “in line with carrying a Pan-African outlook, for the first time in South Africa, the State Theatre will be staging the musical chronicling the life and times of the late legendary musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti”.
The South African State Theatre is an agency under the South African Department of Arts and Culture and is reputed to be the largest theatre complex in Africa.
Based in Pretoria, it used to be known as the Pretoria State Theatre until 1999.
Monday’s premiere is slated for 7pm WAT and is in collaboration with Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions.
The play explores the lives of Fela’s 27 Queens who were an integral part of his band and his controversial but intriguing persona. Employing humour and contemporary lingua, the musical also gives a unique insight into Fela’s musical empire, uniquely referred to as the Kalakuta Republic, showcasing the distinct fashion and dance style as well as the enthralling African identity of the women while shedding light on some common misconceptions about them.
