What is African Theatre?

What is African Theatre? - Episode #1 of the five-part podcast series African Theatre Speaks, produced by Utopia Theatre Company and hosted by theatre director, Artistic Director and CEO if Utopia Theatre, Mojisola Kareem. In this first episode, Mojisola Kareem, is joined by acclaimed playwrights Oladipo Agboluaje and Inua Ellams, alongside Utopia Theatre Trustee Sarafina Maneus, for a powerful conversation exploring the identity, history, and future of African theatre.Together, they ask: What makes African theatre unique? Which writers, performers, and theatre-makers have shaped the African theatrical canon? And why is African theatre not just relevant today, but essential?Blending personal insight, cultural reflection, and artistic debate, What is African Theatre? explores the role of language, storytelling, ritual, and orality in African performance traditions, while examining how African theatre continues to respond to colonial histories, political realities, and contemporary global culture.African Theatre Speaks journeys through the history and heartbeat of African performance, from ritual to revolution, from folklore to contemporary stages, asking who gets to define African theatre and where its future might lead.Across the series, episodes explore landmark works including Death and the King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka, Barber Shop Chronicles, and Utopia Theatre’s acclaimed production of Crown of Blood, tracing how African theatre continues to reinvent itself across the African continent and within the UK diaspora.About Utopia TheatreUtopia Theatre is a bold and influential voice in African theatre in the UK, committed to amplifying African stories, voices, and experiences through dynamic performance, innovative digital work, and community engagement. Founded in 2012 and led by CEO and Artistic Director Mojisola Kareem, the company has grown into a nationally and internationally recognised force in contemporary African performance. As a National Portfolio Organisation funded by Arts Council England, and supported by the BFI. Utopia Theatre has earned a reputation for ambitious productions that inspire, challenge, and entertain diverse audiences.Based in a dedicated creative hub in Sheffield city centre, Utopia Theatre celebrates the richness of African and Western performing traditions, while promoting authentic, culturally grounded storytelling. The company has staged and toured acclaimed productions across the UK and internationally, including Here’s What She Said to Me, Anna Hibiscus’ Song, Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman (2025), and Crown of Blood (2026). These works are known for their emotional depth, cultural resonance, and the inventive integration of music, movement, and ritual. In Summer 2026 Utopia will stage Wole Soyinka's early play The Swamp Dwellers with Oti Rotimi's The Gods are Not to Blame, in development.African Theatre Speaks. Copyright Utopia Theatre 2026. www.utopiatheatre.co.uk. [email protected]