Bimbo Manuel’s ‘THE CALL’: at The Lagos International Theater Festival

By Ronald Akanni Moy

Being a playwright and writer across media, as expected, comes with its big bag of abundant blessings and burdens. The blessings, I confess, many times far outweigh the charge. It is what I love doing. Many are not that blessed, doing what they love and getting paid for it. Fortunately, my job comes with the incredible bonus of meeting people, not to mention the occasional free drink.

So, you can imagine my pleasure, sitting down with one of Nigeria’s best, in the person of the incomparable Bimbo Manuel, actor per excellence, published playwright, voice over artiste, theater director and excellent gentleman, among a few other things.

Venue of the chance meeting was the popular beehive of the arts that has very quickly become a melting pot for artistes and the consumers of their fares, the Terra Kulture on Victoria Island, Lagos.

It is theater season across the country and I am glad to again connect with friends in the business – though I have gone on to other things, I have somewhat remained connected, writing the occasional piece about what is happening in that corner of the world. It is ever so exciting. Theater is a natural habitat for me, so you will understand my excitement.

This season is made particularly more exciting because the entire arts and adjunct communities are preparing for a most unique theater experience, the maiden edition of the Lagos International Theater Festival, starting 15th November and running for all of three days till 17th November, 2024 – music, drama, dance galore!

Though there are a couple of other theater festivals across the country, this is massive and I do not think there has been anything like it in Lagos in a long while. There will be amazing live theater playing across four iconic venues, Terra Arena, Agip Hall at Muson, Glover Hall and the University of Lagos, produced by some of the finest in the local theater family with some truly international flavors thrown in from the United States, South Africa and some other countries for juicy variety.

Truly promising! A theater goers delight with so much to choose from!
Beyond the opportunity to watch excellent theater, it is of particular appeal for the cultural promise it holds and the potential exposure it will provide emerging talents in play writing, directing, acting and technical theater to connect with a huge and varied audience of patrons, connoisseurs, brand association hunters, students and more.
It promises to be a fiesta!

I must be quick to mention here that though the Lagos International Theater Festival is independent, credit for the novelty and entire idea must go to the visioner, Bolanle Austen-Peters of the BAP Productions/Terra Kulture fame who seems to have held the entire theater business in a vice grip since her entree with Saro The Musical about thirteen years ago.

So, I sidled up to Bimbo Manuel, sitting in the lush garden of Terra, while he sips his dark coffee. This chance meeting was an absolute jackpot not even the casually interested should pass up. I smiled. He smiled back. I saw my opening and took it.

I engaged him instantly.
Pleasantries over, in what I now think is his usual reserved style, he told me that he was there to discuss his participation in the Lagos International Theater Festival. It was a good opening and I took it!
‘Am I naive to think that you older folks are beyond these ‘festivals and stuff…?’

‘

Oh no! You see, I write, I act and I produce theater. I have also worked with Bolanle Austen-Peters. I know the meticulous attention she pays to details. If it is not going to be the best, she will not commit to it. It is understandable therefore why some of us the older hands would commit to being a part of the festival – we knew from the point of announcement that if it is Terra, it will be top notch.

‘Theater is the winner for it then…?’
‘For me, there is no better time for Nigerian theater to make a statement and this festival, with its competent management so far, reassures that confidence with good grace and articulation’.

‘You want to tell me about the piece you have entered for the Festival or you are keeping it close to your chest for now’?

‘Oh no…nothing to be mysterious about…’, he said, ‘Our piece is titled, ‘THE CALL’, written by me and I am producing for our company, Cheeky Dog Productions Ltd. We have been allocated the Agip Hall, Muson, Onikan, Lagos where we will have two shows at the same time over two days, Saturday ,16th, and Sunday 17th October 2024, at 5.30pm each day. We are already preparing on the play…’

‘The Call’…sounds rather cryptic. Why the choice of this one…it’s a new play?, I asked.

‘Yes, it is one of my newest pieces and has not ever been performed anywhere. This is its world premiere. ‘The Call’ is a two-man piece and has been carefully selected from among my fair-sized body of stage plays for its unique theme, to depart from the usual theater fare that audiences have come to expect. Besides, what will be true theater if it does not challenge old beliefs or interrogate them using new arguments, present the unexpected!’

You want to tell me a little about this unexpected or…?’
Laughing.

‘Why not…?’, flashing that smile that hides the brilliant creative mind behind his usually gentle, almost shy demeanor, ‘You see, ‘The Call’ is the unanticipated! It is themed around the Ten Commandments of the Christian Bible. The main character is ‘Evangelist Tosin’, who, unable to find any other job after a First Class degree in Biochemistry, grudgingly accepts to work in a lounge where he serves men and women he considers sinners alcohol, a man who has struggled through life and has arrived at a point where he begins to question God who he believes ‘called’ him in the first place’

‘Interesting…’ He seems to become animated as he discusses the story.

‘However, out of reverence for God, he cannot really bring himself to query or rebel against God but he manages to find roundabout ways of reminding God that as God’s own evangelist, working in a ‘beer parlor’, the embarrassment is his alone and that God can intervene by blessing him as He did the famous Jabez. Then, during one of those vague prayers, God visits him at home, just as he gets ready to go to work!’

‘You’re kidding! I would be scared! God in my house?!’ He smiled and continued:
‘Oh he is scared alright and of course, unbelieving! But quickly overcoming his natural fear, doubt, suspicion, he has to answer the question most of us would ordinarily not be able to answer if God were to ask : ‘What exactly do you want from Me?’
‘That is God asking the Evangelist…?’
‘Yes. And the conversation that follows is totally unexpected, the twists and turns only imagined until…
I waited with bated breath but he was not revealing more. We both laughed.
So, I asked him, ‘Aren’t you slightly concerned that some may consider it religious?’

‘That’s the whole point. Offer the audience, the unexpected, something fresh, something they think they know but presented in a way that dislocates their preconceptions! ‘The Call’, though uses a Christian theme, is expertly written and packaged to appeal to a cross-section of society with life lessons, driven by mature comedy and loads of familiar sing-along choruses. The audience can expect a lot to laugh about…even ourselves and our secret thoughts!’

The actors? Are you following the new tradition of bringing stars to perform on stage?’

‘Well, I guess that depends entirely on your definition of ‘star’. In theater, unlike film and television, there are no ‘stars’, just pure professionals and we are working with some of the very best hands in the business. The play is being masterfully directed by the scholarly Bisi Adigun, a maestro of the theater, who has a good grasp of the theme and text, with Deinmoara James, one of my proteges as Stage Manager. For a two-man piece, you have to carefully cast your actors and our cast is absolute top drawer with the peerless Toyin Oshinaike, one of the very best in the business as The Evangelist Tosin and incredibly gifted Ropo Ewenla as the ‘Voice of God’. I am producing for Cheeky Dog Productions Ltd.

‘Hmm…playwrights are usually very sensitive about their works, especially the new ones…why are you not directing it yourself?

‘Er well, yes. Playwrights are usually very sensitive about who interprets them, at least I am. So, a couple of reasons I am not directing this…Bisi Adigun was one of the first to read it and has since then insisted on a chance to direct it. I consider that a compliment. I could not have refused him. Secondly, he is a very competent gentleman with wide experience in the theater in Dublin, Ireland, England and the United States. I knew I could trust him. I also needed to be able to step aside and see what life-form we create under someone else’ direction, free of my influence. The added benefit of all that is that, knowing the story is in good hands, leaves me free to give more to producing the play and ensure its quality presentation’

‘Wow! When and where did you say it is showing again?’

‘The Call’ will be showing at 5.30pm on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th November, 2024, at the Agip Hall, Muson, Onikan Lagos…

‘Funding…support?’

Theater has always been the poorer cousin of the media and big credit must go to those men and women, businesses and brands who recognize the class and mileage theater attracts. We have been lucky in some regard. A few of our friends have been standing by us, with encouraging words and sometimes support in cash and kind. Though we still struggle, we are grateful to those men and women.

‘Any final words…?’

Our tickets are already available and selling fast at https://paystack.com/buy/the-call. If you buy a ticket, two tickets, ten tickets to watch ‘The Call’, beyond the pleasure of watching the play, you would also have contributed to the growth and sustenance of the theater!

A firm handshake.
‘Thank you for talking to me, sir’

‘It has been my pleasure, Ron…’