From
THE ESTATE
by Oladipo Agboluaje
The Estate by Oladipo Agboluaje was co-produced by Tiata Fahodzi (a company which specialises in African stories), and New Wolsey Theatre in association with the Soho Theatre in London on 11 May 2006, directed by Femi Elufowoju jr. The Estate opened at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, followed by a national tour, with the following cast: Richard Pepple (Yinka), Wale Ojo (Ekong/Samson), Ayo-Dele Ajana (Abasina), Nick Oshikanlu (Afolabi), Eddie Daniels (Pakimi), Ellen Thomas (Helen), Kwaku Ankomah (Soji), and Yvonne Dodoo (Sola).
The Estate is a family comedy set in contemporary Lagos, Nigeria and was inspired by Chekhov’s classic play The Cherry Orchard. The Estate tells the story of a wealthy patriarch, Chief Adeyemi whose deaths prompts his children to return to Nigeria from the UK and USA in order to fight for his estate.
About the Playwright
British playwright and academic Oladipo Agboluaje, was born in Hackney, east London in 1968. He studied in Britain and Nigeria, completing a Theatre Arts degree at the University of Benin in West Africa and a MA in Literature from London Metropolitan University. Agboluaje entered the professional theatre scene with his debut Early Morning, in 2003. Since then, he has written many stage plays and screenplays including The Estate (2006), Area Boys (2007 Nigerian Film), The Christ of Coldhabour Lane (2007) and The Hounding of David Oluwale (2009). In 2009, Agboluaje won the Alfred Fagon Award for his play Iyale (First Wife), which was also nominated for a Lawrence Olivier Award. Oladipo Agboluaje is an executive member of the African Theatre Association (AfTA) and a member of the Soho Theatre’s Writer’s Attachment programme.
Other published plays by Oladipo Agboluaje include The Christ of Cold Habour Lane, The Hounding of David Oluwale, Iyale (The First Wife), The Estate, Early Morning and The Wish Collector.
Summary (Extract)
Chief Adeyemi’s eldest son YINKA arrives from America without his wife and children, to attend his father’s funeral and to ensure that his step-mother Helen and her ‘bastard’ daughter Sola leave the house without any claim to his father’s inheritance. Yinka despises Helen for breaking up his parent’s marriage and refuses to dress in the uniform Helen has selected for the Adeyemi family to wear at the funeral, bringing shame on the family. After the funeral, the family discover that Chief Adeyemi was bankrupt; Yinka blames his step-mother Helen for asking for too much money.
A drunken Yinka confesses to his blood brother Soji about his marriage breakdown, infidelity and reasons why he should never marry a black woman.
(Laughs.) Hey, look at that, Soji giving orders. The world has truly turned upside down.
…
You are right not to marry! Women, they are a curse. Black women, don’t go near them. They will poison you. When they do this (Waves his finger and rolls his head.) run! Run!
…
I must warn all men. Run, guys or they will kill you! (Collapses into the sofa.) I’m the true son of my father! There I am building the American wing of the Adeyemi dynasty. Oh yes, in God’s Own Country. In God’s Own Goddamn Country. My friend! To have family in another man’s land is not good. I love my boys. But they pledge allegiance to the Stars and Stripes. Soon they’ll go off to fight in Iraq. But their women, ho, ho! Marrying African American is the same as marrying African. (Makes the sound of a buzzer.) Wrong! Don’t believe them when they tell you we’re all from the source. They are American, end of story. It’s amazing. So, because a man has a ring on his finger he cannot look at another women, eh?
…
A man cannot have a meaningless fling, just to keep his manhood ticking? Except that his own wife must pull him down… Did we qualify for the World Cup…?
…
…Oh, Joyce! She’s filed a divorce. She is taking everything. The house, the kids, the business. That same Joyce. Behaving as if she is the first African God put on this earth. She meant nothing to me I pleaded with this woman. Twenty years of marriage, burst like a bubble. It’s my fault. Papa warned me: don’t get involved with foreigners. They don’t understand our way. I said, ‘Papa, Joyce is one of us.’ He said ‘You are stupid for thinking so.’ Papa, Papa, Papa, Papa…Always listen to your father. Black man, you are on your own!