Soyinka’s ‘Brother Jero’ Gets Operatic Revival At Wole Soyinka Centre
Opera Returns After Successful Stagings
FOLLOWING successful performances in May and June, The Trials of Brother Jero – The Opera is set to return to the stage for an encore performance in Lagos.
The production, presented by Vesta Orchestra, will take place on Sunday 11 October 2026, at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, formerly known as the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu.
The programme will begin at 4:00pm with a pre-show school concert featuring four school orchestras. The main opera will then commence at 5:00pm.
The return performance gives theatre lovers another opportunity to experience the musical adaptation of one of Nigeria’s best-known satirical plays.
From Soyinka’s Satire to Opera
The Trials of Brother Jero – The Opera adapts Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka’s celebrated play, The Trials of Brother Jero, which was published in 1963.
The original work centres on Brother Jeroboam, a charismatic self-proclaimed prophet whose schemes, manipulation and calculated exploitation of his followers provide the foundation for Soyinka’s satire.
However, the operatic production takes the familiar story beyond conventional stage drama. It combines theatre with live orchestral music, powerful vocals and African musical influences.
According to executive producer Rosalyn Aninyei, the production retains the humour and social commentary of Soyinka’s original work while presenting its characters and themes through opera.
A Nigerian Story With Global Appeal
Aninyei leads the production as executive producer, while Gbolabo Gibbs Adebakin serves as director. Seun Owoaje is the composer, and Kehinde Oretimehin, also known as Omo Kabiyesi, is the librettist.
The lead cast features Captain Gibbs, John Paul Ochei and Abiola Lepe.
For Aninyei, the production also reflects the depth of Nigeria’s operatic tradition and the wealth of African stories that remain available for creative reinterpretation.
She said there is growing global interest in African stories and stressed the importance of Africans taking responsibility for telling those stories themselves.
Making Theatre More Accessible
Director Adebakin also sees familiarity as an important bridge between audiences and new forms of theatre.
He explained that introducing audiences to something new becomes easier when creators connect it to stories and experiences they already understand.
That approach is central to the production’s interpretation of Soyinka’s work. By using a familiar Nigerian literary classic as its foundation, the opera introduces audiences to a different musical and theatrical experience without abandoning the story they already know.
Third Staging at a Major Cultural Venue
The October performance will mark the third staging of The Trials of Brother Jero – The Opera.
It will also take place at the newly renovated Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts, giving audiences an opportunity to experience the production in one of Lagos’ major cultural spaces.
Vesta Orchestra is inviting lovers of theatre, opera, literature and Nigerian culture to attend the performance.
Tickets are available through Tix Africa at ₦10,000, ₦25,000, ₦50,000 and ₦100,000.
