‘Esther’s Revenge’: WSICE 2026 opens with award-winning Nigerian play at The Africa Centre in London
By Editor
THE 17th Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE) opened in London with a powerful theatrical statement as Esther’s Revenge, the award-winning Nigerian production by playwright and director Kenneth Uphopho, was presented as the festival’s featured theatre production at The Africa Centre on 17 and 18 July. Presented under this year’s theme, ‘Let Memory Be Our Witness,’ the production became a fitting centrepiece for a festival dedicated to exploring culture, history and the enduring power of memory.
Convened by Dr. Teju Kareem, CEO of ZMirage Multimedia Company, the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE) continues to celebrate the artistic and intellectual legacy of Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, who attended this year’s opening programme alongside invited guests, artists and cultural leaders.
Over two evenings, audiences gathered at The Africa Centre to experience a work that asks difficult questions about justice, power and history through the lens of one woman’s story.
Inspired by the true story of Esther Ada Johnson, Esther’s Revenge revisits a little-known case from 1950s colonial Lagos. Sentenced to death after the killing of her white lover, Esther’s story has often been reduced to a sensational headline. Uphopho’s work looks beyond the verdict, examining the events, relationships and inequalities that shaped the choices that brought her before the law.
“This is not a play about murder,” Uphopho reflected during the post-show discussion. “It is a play about power. Who had it in colonial Nigeria? Who believed they had it? And what happens when someone decides to reclaim it?”
Performed by Bola Stephen-Atitebi, the immersive solo production invites audiences to become active participants in the unfolding narrative rather than passive observers. Moving seamlessly between memory, testimony and lived experience, her performance transforms the audience into witnesses, asking them to confront questions that remain painfully relevant today.
Produced by Pawstudios Africa, with Omotola Ibeh serving as Production Manager for the UK tour, the production has continued to build international recognition since its premiere in 2018. Having now reached its 85th performance, Esther’s Revenge has toured Nigeria, South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom, winning the Brighton Fringe International Encore Series Award in 2023 before completing a successful residency at SoHo Playhouse, New York, in 2024.
For Kareem, Convener of the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange, the inclusion of Esther’s Revenge reflects the festival’s commitment to presenting work that challenges, questions and inspires dialogue.
According to him, “The conversations we hope to ignite through WSICE are rooted in memory, identity and cultural responsibility. Esther’s Revenge embodies those values by encouraging audiences to confront difficult histories while reflecting on the present.”
Discussions continued long after the final curtain, as audience members gathered to reflect on the production’s themes and contemporary relevance.
Amina S. described the experience as deeply affecting, saying, “I’d heard about the case but never like this. Kenneth doesn’t make Esther a hero or a villain. He makes her human. And that’s what stayed with me.”
For Laide, a poet and actor, the production spoke directly to the spirit of the festival: “This is exactly the kind of historical excavation WSICE exists for. We cannot talk about resistance without talking about the women who paid the highest price. I came because of Soyinka’s legacy, but I left thinking about my grandmother’s generation.”
As the opening chapter of its 2026 UK Tour, the performances at The Africa Centre represented more than another stop on an international journey. They demonstrated the continuing relevance of African theatre as a space where history, memory and contemporary social questions meet in dialogue.
Following its London opening, Esther’s Revenge continues its UK tour with performances at Bread & Roses Theatre (21–22 July), Alma Tavern & Theatre, Bristol (24–26 July), Impact Dance Studios, London (28–29 July), before concluding at the Bradford African Festival on 5 August.
Reflecting on the significance of opening the tour within the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange, Uphopho observed, “Stories like Esther’s remind us that memory is not simply about the past. It is about what we choose to carry forward. To begin this tour within WSICE, and at The Africa Centre, gave that conversation a very special resonance.”
Esther performed by Bola Stephen-Atitebi
