Iya-Ile Rocks

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Iya-Ile (The First Wife)
By Oladipo Agboluaje
Directed by Femi Elufowoju, jr
Soho Theatre. Dean Street, London W1D 3NE
14 May - 20 June 2009
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On a brief visit to the UK, I had an opportunity see Iya-Ile – a new play by Oladipo Agboluaje and boy, I’m glad I took the opportunity

Helen and Pakimi the driver

Set in Lagos in 1989, the plot of the play is about life in an upper middle class Nigerian household of a Government Contractor named Chief Oladimeji Adeyemi. The focus on Adeyemi’s family offers a glimpse into a world of Nigerian politics, corruption, fake pastors and things wives of high-ranking Nigerians have to live with in other to maintain a certain public image. The show also highlighted issues of trying to make something out of life in a very trying environment. Initially, I was concerned that I  had not seen the prequel "The state", but this story is totally self-contained.

For some reason, the set reminded me so much of Chief Fuji‘s “House of Commtion” in the TV series Checkmate (Interestingly, Moji Bamtefa the costume designer for Iya-Ile). You know those living rooms with huge pictures, adjining areas that delineate the different classes in the household. Of course no big-mans house in Naija will be complete without housemaids, a houseboy/gardener and a driver. The divisions of the set allow for multiple playing areas and contrasts .

Chief Olarewaju Adeyemi (Jude Akuwudike) is desperately seeking to be in the good books of the military rulers in other to secure contracts, but Chief is also constantly philandering.

His wife Helen (Antonia Okonma) is the aggressive madam of the house who dominates the house girls, the driver, the kids with a koboko (Horsewhip), while struggling to keep the affection of her husband.

The star of the show for me was Helen, the house-girl (Superbly portayed by Estella Daniels). She’s the house-girl of the house- Madam’s victim, but also very ambitious and determined not to go the way of other house-girls before her. As in money for hand, back for ground, she was in the middle of a love triangle between Pakimi the driver (who’s always looking for how to get rich quick) and Chief’s first son, who ready to spend as much as needed to bed Helen.

The younger son, Tobi (Tobi Bakare) is more interested in revolution and his here is some revolutionary named KK Folarin (who ended up disappointing Tobi when he joined the better life train – remember Tai Solarin?)

Tobi’s elder brother Yinka (Babatunde Aleshe) is more interested in bedding Helen, the housegirl.

Pakimi, the driver (Javone Prince) is forever seeking new ways to make enough money that will create a new life for him and Helen. Its not a wonder he fell for one of thse Wonderbanks of the Eighties.

Then there’s the very funny Revered Father Archbishop Billy Robertson (Chucky Venn), who’s talking about the mighty works of “Gaaad” in his life. This character alone makes it worthwhile to see this play. He couldn’t have portrayed Nigerian prosperity preachers better. There was this scene where he grabbed the second son by the neck to teach him a lesson, but when Chief suddenly  entered, he quickly made it look like a healing/deliverance session. Hilarious.

Then there’s Mrs Okomile (Marcy Oni) wife of the military Governor who’s trying to recruit Chief into bed with her swinging hips (thus living up to her name as far as chief is concerned) while at the same time trying to recruit Chiefs wife into the Better Life program.

There are some other hilarious side characters such as Mama Onijuju (Marcy Oni) who has solutions for everything from Love portions to how to ‘arrest’ armed robbers, how to poison your enemies, etc. And the lovable houseboy Afolabi (Nick Oshikanlu) who has seen about 7 housegils come and go “I am not servant. I am gardener.”

Other things I enjoyed included the musical interludes and dance choreographies. The Zombie dance by the soldiers was off the chart and I liked how the Electric Slide was danced to Sunny Ade. Smooth.

All in all, this is a show worth seeing, but there are certain things that could be improved in my opinion. First the show was set in 1989, yet there’s a lot of talk about 4-1-9, a lingo that didn’t become popular until the nineties.  Also I felt it got too noisy and violent at some points, but that’s Naija for you isn’t it. Other aspects may be tough to understand by someone who is not familiar with Nigerian culture.

The unending humor and moments of brilliance, fun, jokes of this production however far outweigh any shortcomings. There was never a dull moment on stage. Great show and highly recommended.

Until 20 June (020 7478 0100, www.sohotheatre.com).

Ps: I understand the prequel “The Estate” is being made into Film and I can’t wait to see.

Author Lives in Chicago

Robot  # 1 | 30.05.2009 05:13

The unending humor and moments of brilliance, fun, jokes of this production makes it a must-see.....Read the full article.

timiadebowale  # 2 | 30.05.2009 07:15

The tonal accents on Iya-Ile would be right if they represent the meaning of Iya Ile as "homely suffering". They would be wrong however if they are meant to represent the literal meaning of the first wife, which is, the mother of the house. Yoruba language tonal accents are of the first three notes of music, namely doh reh mih. The accents presented on the book title is doh doh-reh mih. If the title is meant to be, as I said earlier, the mother of the house, then the accents should be doh mih-reh mih. I have seen too many film titles, purportedly expounding the fundamentals of Yoruba grammar, but wrongly, that I feel I should point this out.

Anioma777  # 3 | 30.05.2009 09:45

I went to see this yesterday after a very scary flight into London. It was AWESOME,FANTASTIC AND I MUST SAY I AM PLANNING TO GO AND SEE IT AGAIN!!!!! :clap::hail::clap: @timiadebowale Thanks for making your point. It is always good for native speakers to point out mistakes for non-native speakers to understand.:clap:

Agidimolaja  # 4 | 31.05.2009 00:16

timiadebowale, In addition to the mistake in the tonal accent on Iya-Ile that you pointed out,I shall also like to draw people's attention to the fact that "Iya-Ile" written in two words is also incorrect.The word has never been written in any Yoruba book as Iya-Ile, neither has it ever been pronounced as Iya-Ile.It has always been written and pronounced out as "Iyale". The most correct tonal accent should therefore be doh mih mih. Also,Iyale may not necessarily be the first wife. In Yoruba language and culture,a woman is Iyale to all other women married after her.While the first wife is Iyale to all others,the second wife however is also Iyale to the third wife and the third wife is Iyale to the fourth wife etc. A woman is Iyale to whoever was married after her, while whoever was married before her is her Iyale.

Akoko Naira Chief  # 5 | 31.05.2009 08:15

Indeed, however in yoruba culture the true iyale is the real first wife or matriach who is iyale or senior to all the wives who come in after her and responsible to no other in the household except the husband! Subsequent wives may have 1 or more iyales before them but all will acknowledge that the real iyale is indeed the first wife who is senior to all!

Ph3y  # 6 | 31.05.2009 12:47

Iyale does not neccesarily refer to women who are married to the same husband. In the yoruba extended family for example, My husband's senior brother's wife is also my own iyale......Just like i would be an iyale to my husband's junior brother's wife.......

Ekun elekeru  # 7 | 31.05.2009 19:22

Ph3y, well said and stated.

Agidimolaja  # 8 | 31.05.2009 23:28

timiAdebowale,Akoko Naira Chief, Ph3y etc, thanks. Let us continue to keep our language and culture alive.

timiadebowale  # 9 | 01.06.2009 07:13

Colloquial Yoruba words can be split into their component words for emphasis. For example the word s’oro (to speak) is from two words, so oro. Where such words have evolved (remember Yoruba is a living language) into proper nouns as in Iyale, there is no need for the conjunctive apostrophe (Iya’le). So a word like Otunba which evolved from two words, Otun Oba (the king’s right hand man), is not written as Otun’ba. Before it became cheapened this title was only given to honour deserving princes, since it was considered a downgrading for a prince to be appointed a chief, but that is a topic for another forum.

missmom  # 10 | 07.06.2009 12:08

Does any one have tickets for the 13th June at 3pm, it is fully booked on that day. I have been told it is a must see!