In 2006, Oladipo Agboluaje scored a big hit at Soho with The Estate, a roistering account of an extended Nigerian family gathering for the funeral of Chief Adeyemi. The First Wife takes us back 20 years to Lagos in 1989 and finds the adulterous chief very much alive, although the drama itself is showing only the weakest of pulses.
The play never recovers from a bewildering, fractured, often linguistically challenging start, in which English is interspersed with liberal doses of both Pidgin and Yoruba. It’s tough to get a grip on exactly who all the minor characters are and, by the time we do, we have long since stopped caring.
What forward momentum there is in Femi Elufowoju Jr’s production builds towards the 40th birthday party of Toyin, the chief’s wife, although whether this largely dislikeable family implodes or not among the party poppers is little concern of ours.
There are tantalising glimpses into a fascinating world of Nigerian politics, corruption and banking scandals. It’s the bad behaviour in the home, though, that Agboluaje concentrates on, as both father (Jude Akuwudike) and one of his sons make moves on the canny house girl, Helen (Estella Daniels, excellent).
One hates to side with the patriarchy but seeing as the permanently scowling Toyin (Antonia Okonma) keeps a bullwhip behind the sofa to punish the servants, it’s not hard to see why her marital position may be under threat. I suggest sitting this one out, and waiting for the film of The Estate, currently in development.
Until 20 June (020 7478 0100, www.sohotheatre.com).
Iya-lle (The First Wife)
Soho Theatre
Dean Street, W1D 3NE
