‘Dear Kaffy’: Heartfelt love story of a Lagos big girl woos theatregoers
By Anote Ajeluorou
THERE’S something magical about the human story when presented in its unpretentious innocence. It has the capacity to draw listeners into its core and elicit empathy. You’re at once the listener to this moving story and its participant as well, and you begin to inhabit the skin of the tale’s owner. You’re at once one and the same with the tale teller, feeling their joy and pain and wishing for a good ending to the story. That was how audiences at Terra Kulture Theatre Arena, Lagos felt on Day One of the stage performance Dear Kaffy: Diary of a Lagos Girl, a sudden kinship with the protagonist Kike who’s turned ping-pong in the hands of Lagos men, as they toss her love about while leaving her broken many times all over.
Bolanle Austen-Peters (BAP) Production was about its usual yearly Christmas theatrical offering for the 11th year and thought to tell a story dedicated to Lagos ladies, and the men alike. Reminiscent of the latest crazy short story collection Nearly All Men in Lagos Are Mad (Masobe, 2024, Lagos) by Damilare Kuku, Kike’s encounter with three specimen of Lagos men is enough to make any woman repent of loving the specie called Lagos men. But Kike is one hell of a lady who will not just listen to her friends’ love adventure stories forever. She needs to deeply feel it to know. And like all newcomer to a fad, Kike (Uzo Osimkpa) takes her love life on tailspin when she decides to try the relationship thing that she’d denied herself just to immerse herself in her studies where she’s excelling. But the moment Kike plunges into a life of dalliance, the world acknowledges the presence of another bitch with a difference. But she’d not reckoned that men are made of a different cloth, as she gradually finds to her chagrin.
Kike finds that men are butterflies. Only one flower is not enough to give them the desired nectar. They must flirt and flutter about first before settling on one. This she would find to her shock as Femi (Floyd Igbo), the love of her life, turns out to be. Then she begins to chalk up the men in her life to be scam. Tamuno (Ralph Okoro), who sponges on Kike like a leech would not consider settling down with her either, standing up her family on an introductory meeting. His is dalliance redefined. By the time Mahmoud (Hector Amiwero) comes along, Kike has had it to her throat; there’s nothing left to consider about men any more. What becomes of Kike? Would she try again love again? And is her sister right to insist love is secondary in marriage? What about his father’s match-making bid to ship Kike off to marriage?
And is 35 years too old for a lady to marry? It’s one debate that will rage for as long as possible. And why is marriage the yardstick to measure a woman’s level of success? Otunba (Bimbo Manuel), Kike’s father, believes in empowering her daughters, but the mother (Bukky Ogunsote) believes Kike is too educated and financially empowered to her own marital detriment; in fact, it’s why men have continued to elude her, she argues with her husband. Kike’s match-made sister (Yewande Osamein) badges her, using her own life’s situation as case study that Kike must also fall in line…
Kike pushing back on Lagos toxic men
Dear Kaffy throws up a lot of interesting social issues confronting modern men and women alike. Settling down for marriage is one big issue that will continues to elicit debates. While the men feel they have the world at their feet and can treat woman anyway they like and get away with it, Femi and Tamuno confront different realities and crawl back on bended knees. As they say, actions have consequences as the two men would come to find when it’s almost too late, when the ship of affect has since set sail.
Kike’s terrific performance set the stage alive. She’s easily the darling of the production as the writers and director invested so much on her personality. Brilliant. Sassy. Classy. Beautiful. Kike is not the regular girl next door; she’s fully made. Yet life throws sour grapes at her where she’s most vulnerable: finding a man to hold and cherish. It’s the unfortunate lot of many city ladies who are self-made: wealthy parents and full life of their own. Yet, they hit and miss out on the love train. And so between finding love her own way and allowing oneself to be match-made, where’s the balance to be struck?
A fairly straightforward story, but one that touches the core of the human heart, Dear Kaffy‘s. The songs and movements, not so much dance, as with other of Bolanle Austen-Peters’ musicals. BAP Production’s musicians are the real deal, and they lived up to teh hype yet again. But you would feel the pulsating performance as you inhabit the intimate contours of Kike’s ebullient life carved out like a delicate dish fit for men to eat.
Today, December 27, 2024 the show resumes at 3.00pm and 7.00pm. Day One out of the 11-day stage performance show from December 26 – January 5, 2025 was fully booked. It’s still a long holiday. Day Two is here, and Terra Kulture Theatre Arena has got you covered with this heartfelt love story. Don’t be told. Experience it!
