Olutayo Irantiola’s debut play, ‘With our Uniform’, was among the productions that lit up the stage at this year’s Lagos Fringe Festival held at Freedom Park, Lagos Island from November 17 to 22.
Directed by Lanre Quadri, ‘With our Uniform’ is a satire about how uniformed men extort innocent Nigerians to augment their poor remuneration.
Speaking on the inspiration behind the production, Irantiola, who also anchors the ‘Yoruba Lakotun’ program, said it was his passion for using art to reform the society and instilling quality values.
He said, “‘With our Uniform’ is a satire about the law enforcement agency – Police Force, fused with comedy and witty dialogue. The response of law enforcement officers to protests in Nigeria is quite disturbing. My concerns are particularly about the injustice experienced by the majority of our young and vibrant youths in the country.
“I am committed to telling the Nigerian story through plays. My art seeks to explore topical issues that affect the everyday Nigerian. The drama is an imitation of life, and I am thrilled that it captures important facts in a subtle but entertaining way”.
Also commenting, the director, Quadri said “I am delighted we were able to bring our ideas to life and people were able to connect to the play. We were able to get talented crew and so rehearsals were done within a short time. I have always wanted to work on a project that addresses societal issues. I believe this drama would spur the change we desire. It also serves as a reminder of what was and what could be.”
Damilola Adebayo, Ismaila Adeshina, Agnes Olayemi, Ogunse Tosin, Akintunde Tosin and Osho Olowu Micheal were some of the actors featured in the play. Others were Adeniyi Oluwafemi, Christiana Ndukwe, Friday Onyenankeya, Lawrence Babatunde and Damilola Adeyinka.
The Lagos Fringe themed ‘Recreating the Future’ happened from November 17 to 22 at Freedom Park, Lagos Island.
