Ajofest @40: Theatre Veterans Reunite to Celebrate Fred Agbeyegbe’s Enduring Legacy

FORTY years after it brought audiences to the National Theatre in Lagos, Ajofest ’86 is set to return to public conversation as theatre veterans, performers and cultural practitioners prepare to celebrate its enduring contribution to Nigerian dramatic arts.

The reunion, titled Ajofest ’86 – 40 Years Later: Reunion and Reflections, will hold on Sunday 1st November 2026, at 4 p.m. at Queen Amina Gardens, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. Organised by the Ajofest ’86–40 Years Later committee in partnership with the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), the event will bring together members of the original production team, cultural historians and younger theatre practitioners.

Beyond the anniversary, the gathering aims to preserve the memories of a production that helped shape conversations about independent theatre, political expression and the development of Nigeria’s performing arts.

Revisiting a Landmark in Nigerian Theatre

In 1986, veteran legal practitioner and creative writer Dr. Fred Agbeyegbe conceived and financed the Ajo Festival of Plays, popularly known as Ajofest ’86, through Ajo Productions. The festival featured four original plays written by Agbeyegbe: The King Must Dance Naked, Woe Unto Death, The Last Omen and Budiso.

Presented across four consecutive weekends at the National Theatre, Iganmu, the productions attracted capacity audiences. Their success demonstrated the possibilities of privately financed theatre at a time when Nigeria’s political and cultural environment presented considerable challenges to artistic expression.

The plays also became associated with daring political satire under military rule. Through dramatic storytelling, Agbeyegbe explored questions of power, leadership, social responsibility and the human consequences of political decisions.

Consequently, Ajofest became more than a series of stage performances. It emerged as an important example of how theatre could entertain audiences while encouraging reflection on the realities of national life.

A Festival That Brought Theatre & Film Talent Together

Ajofest also featured performers who would later establish prominent careers in Nigerian theatre, television and film. Among them were Richard Mofe-Damijo, Antar Laniyan, Ayo Lijadu, Lara Akinsola and Sola Awojobi.

The original production team included artistic director Jide Ogungbade, associate director Ben Tomoloju and stage manager Segun Ogunfidodo. Other members of the ensemble included Christina Achebe, Yinka Adeyemo, Yomi Gbolagunte, Professor Segun Ojewuyi, Dr. Tunji Sotimirin, Akpor Otebele and Pero Sosan.

For many of these artists, the festival remains part of a wider story about the development of professional theatre and the movement of stage practitioners into Nigeria’s expanding screen industry.

The anniversary will therefore provide an opportunity to revisit the relationships, creative decisions and production experiences that shaped the original festival. It will also allow younger practitioners to hear directly from those who participated in the productions.

Veterans to Recount the Festival’s Legacy

Former Guardian arts editor Ben Tomoloju will deliver the keynote address, while Mofe-Damijo, Lijadu, Layinka and Akinsola will participate in a panel discussion.

Dr. Lookman Sanusi will moderate the session. Meanwhile, Professor Segun Ojewuyi, Dr. Tunji Sotimirin, Godwin Onohwosa, Jahman Anikulapo and Adeniran Makinde will share reflections on the festival and its place in Nigerian theatre history.

In addition, members of NANTAP-affiliated Crown Troupe of Africa will coordinate dramatic readings from the four original plays. The programme will also feature tributes to theatre figures, including Jide Ogungbade, Pero Sosan, Sola Awojobi, Victoria Ajomeyimje and Akpor Otebele.

These activities will give participants an opportunity to revisit the performances through personal recollections, critical discussion and selected passages from the plays themselves.

Preserving Memories Beyond the Stage

One of the anniversary’s central objectives is to document Ajofest’s history more systematically. Much of the festival’s legacy, according to the organisers, has survived through oral accounts and the memories of those who participated in it.

Although these recollections remain valuable, they can become harder to recover as time passes. Archival photographs, programmes, newspaper reports, recordings and personal correspondence could help establish a more durable record of the festival’s artistic and historical significance.

The organising committee has therefore invited members of the public to share relevant materials and personal anecdotes. The initiative seeks to build a permanent public archive that researchers, students, theatre practitioners and future generations can consult.

Dr. Lillian Agbeyegbe, coordinator of the organising committee, described the original festival as a bold example of private investment in Nigerian theatre. She said the anniversary would honour its pioneers, preserve their firsthand accounts and pass the experience on to younger practitioners.

NANTAP National President Adeniran Makinde also emphasised the importance of recognising the foundations of modern Nigerian performance. He said Ajofest demonstrated the potential of independent theatre to contribute to the country’s cultural conversation.

Connecting Generations of Theatre Practitioners

The reunion is designed to welcome more than the original cast and crew. Organisers have also invited theatre enthusiasts, cultural researchers, students and members of the general public who may be encountering Ajofest’s history for the first time.

Admission is free, and the programme will be streamed online to enable participation beyond Lagos. Interested members of the public can access the online participation link at https://bit.ly/4dpVSoJ. To get media coverage and sponsorship deals, members of the public can reach out via email: ajofest86@gmail.com.

Ultimately, the 40th-anniversary gathering offers an opportunity to assess how Ajofest influenced artistic practice and why its history deserves preservation. By bringing veterans and emerging practitioners together, the organisers hope to transform a celebrated memory into a resource for future theatre scholarship and performance.

Four decades after its original run, Ajofest’s place in Nigerian cultural history will be revisited not only through tributes, but also through renewed discussion about artistic courage, independent production and the responsibility to preserve the country’s creative heritage.