The Wedlock Of The Gods

The Virgo Foundation

The Virgo Foundation was founded three years ago by actor Wale Ojo. The Virgo Foundation is dedicated to the promotion of African arts,culture and heritage through the medium of theatre,film,music and photography.We are putting on a piece of classical African theatre at the Cochrane theatre in Holborn. It is a play titled “Wedlock of the Gods” by Africa’s first female writer,Zulu Sofola. This play is a European premiere at the Cochrane Theatre with a vintage cast of African British actors such as Ellen Thomas,Golda John, Femi Elufowoju Jnr, Frank Williams,Maynard Eziashi and Wale Ojo.
 

You are cordially invited to the European premiere of this theatrical performance

Date:        Saturday  18^th September

Venue:    The Cochrane Theatre

Address:  South Hampton Row,Holborn. WC1 4AP

Start:         7.30PM Prompt

http://www.offwestend.com/index.php/theatres/view/6

This promises to be a great cultural evening of African theatre to celebrate one of Africa’s greatest literary heroines. Please find below an e-flyer for the event.

Wale Ojo makes his  directing debut with this great play.

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 VIRGO FOUNDATION in association with the Cochrane Theatre presents:

 'WEDLOCK OF THE GODS'

Wedlock of the Gods is a tragic drama that has its roots in the ritual of death and mourning. A young girl is given away in marriage to a man whom she neither knows nor loves. However her parents need the dowry money to cure her very sick brother.When the man dies unexpectedly the young lady is expected to mourn for three months and then following in the custom of leviration to marry her dead husband's brother. The young lady rebels in the face of age old custom and tradition. She clings on desperately to the man she has always known and loved,a man she was never allowed to marry. Their  relationship is a slap in the face of tradition and one that can only result in dire consequences. However their passion is a torrent of tumultous love that sets to do battle against age old customs. What would be the consequences of such a defiant act of rebellion?

Zulu Sofola is one of Africa's most foremost female writers.Her plays include "King Emene - "Tragedy of a Rebellion".

Zulu Sofola, a Nigerian from the Delta State of the country, was the first published female playwright, and the first African female to chair a department of Theatre Arts. As an advocate for human rights and female empowerment, her work served to challenge the cultural ideas about the role of the woman in African society. We pay tribute to her outstanding achievements  by bringing her work to an international audience during the celebration of our country’s 50^th Independence Anniversary.

Wale Ojo is best known for his groundbreaking work in film theatre and Television. He has worked at all the Major Theatres in the coutry, Such as the Royal Court Theatre, Royal Exchange theatre, the Royal National The Young Vic. Bristol Old Vic in a  Career that has spanned the last 25 years. A Child Prodigy with Afirca’s  first television Network NTA Ibadan, Wale’s life has been dedicated to the  evolution of African theatre at a global scale.  He was there at the genesis of Tiata Fhaodzi, Britian’s First African Theatre company, founded by the legendary Femi Elufowoju Junior that most is most renowned for its success in Bringing African Theatre to the British Audiences.

Wale Ojo continues to inspire and extend his vision, through international  collaborations with  equally talented creative minds. He has appeared with Jill Scott, in the Number 1 Lady Dectective Agency and appeared as a Guest Lead with James Purefoy (Solomon Kane, Rome) in NBC studios ‘The Philantropist’. He  has collaborated on numerous projects  with Africa’s global Laureate Wole Soyinka. Wale Ojo has just completed filming with Brendan Gleeson(Emmy award winner , 2009 for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the film Into the Storm, Gangs of New York,  and the Harry Potter Films) and Don Cheadle( Hotel Rwanda, Iron Man 2) in a new movie out next year titled ‘The Guard’ directed by John Michael McDonagh.