The Promise of SARO, by members of cast and crew

WILLIAM BENSON

ADE LAOYE

With only a few days to the October 25-27 premiere of the grand Broadway-style musical theatre, SARO The Musical at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Lekki, we asked some of the young, vibrant performers and directors involved in the epoch-making  showpiece created and produced by Bolanle Austen-Peters for BAP Productions and Terra Kulture Art Centre, Lagos.
Below is an excerpt of what they promise the expected audiences:

What directors, actors of Saro the Musical promise audience - The Guardian Nigeria

Diana Yekini

 Makinde Adeniran

Saro the Musical is Nigeria’s first Broadway-style musical theatre, a production of Terra Kulture, Lagos. It will premiere from October 25 at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos to enthusiastic audiences in its grand scale as never seen before in indigenous Nigerian theatre production. In this interview with the Executive Director, Makinde Adeniran and one of the cast members, Diana Yekini, Nigerians’ love for the theatre is about to be revolutionised in a new way. Excerpts:

SARO The Musical… The Big Broadway-style Theatrical Project Steps Out Boldly

The formal introduction of the Broadway-style theatrical production, SARO The Musical to the Nigerian public was held on Tuesday September 10 in the function hall of Terra Kulture on Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. 

In attendance were carefully selected notable names in Nigeria theatrical circuit, the art academic world, patrons of the Creative industries, potential sponsors, as well as senior Arts and Culture journalists from nearly all the leading media houses.

The Producer, Mrs Bolanle austen peters (2nd left) with from left, the actress, Joke Silva, the veteran actress, Taiwo Ajai-lycett and the Consul-general of the French Embassy, Francoise Sastourne

Those who witnessed the official unveiling of the big theatre dream included Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Mr Disun Holloway; renowned actress, Mrs Taiwo Ajai-Lycett , fondly called matriarch of the Nigerian stage;  renowned dramatist, director and culture journalist, Ben Tomoloju; former Artistic Director of National Troupe of Nigeria, and current Dean of Humanities at the Redeemer University, Professor Ahmed Yerima; lawyer, art patron, Mrs Myma Belo-Osagie; popular actress, and now managing Director of the Malete Film Village, Mrs. Joke Silva; and renowned TV personality and CEO of EbonyTV, Mo Abudu. There was also the Consul General of the French Embassy, Francoise Sastourne.  Others included Dr Tunde Awosanmi, a teacher of directing from University of Ibadan; Mr Deji Toye a lawyer, playwright and poet; and Mr Ola Fajemisin, manager programme at the Nigeria Television Authority. 


The club of celebrities was led by the afro-pop musical icon, Innocent Idibia aka TuFace; and included, the actress Kate Henshaw; and On-Air personalities, Steve Onu aka Yaw of WazobiaFM, Chris Ihidero of TopFM, and Wana Udobong of Inspiration FM, among others. 

Brilliant Story, Fantastic Cast, Terrific Production Team, SARO!! More Pictures From SARO Rehearsals

As the third week goes by,The drama and musical cast did an outstanding job with this composition.

‘SARO… is a liberating experience for me… for the people of Africa’ - Makinde Adeniran, Executive Director, SARO

‘SARO… is a liberating experience for me… for the people of Africa’ - Makinde Adeniran, Executive Director, SARO

"For the theatre practitioners, it is about learning, like I said, we learn new things. So it is about learning, all of us learning a new way to do certain things.  Because, that is the vision of the project; if possible stop our money bags from going abroad to bring entertainment into the country. There are people who can do it here.  All we have not been able to do is to act.  We keep talking and talking and not doing but the opportunity has been provided now by Terra-Kulture to do."--Makinde Adeniran, Executive artistic director for SARO

May we meet you sir?
My Name is Makinde Adeniran.

You are the Artistic Director, who wrote the play?
I am the Executive Artistic Director. I have other directors working with me -- Kenneth Uphopho, Gbenga Yusuf (dance), Ayo Ajayi (music). I have some consultants too. I have personnel who are young, vibrant and they are pushing the force to make this a reality. We have our Executive Producer, Bolanle Austen-Peters, who equally is the MD of Terra Kulture. She created the piece, the story.

In recent years, you seemed to have taken a break from the Theatre to work in the Media Industry…

Yeah, Media industry… that was a stint. True, in the media industry, we tried to do our best as you know; you know how that story ends. That was the bit I could do in the media. My forte has always been the theatre and that is what I am trained for and I have spent going to 25 years of my life doing. So, the terrain for me is the one that is inseparable from my personality; so it is like my comfort zone.