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Terra Kulture, Nigeria’s first privately owned ultra-modern theatre, has become something of a household name among people who love theatre. On its stage, several actors, writers, musicians and dancers have found their voices and shared their hearts and art with the world.
Historical tales have been reimagined and re-lived time and time again. Shows such as Oluronbi the Musical, Saro The Musical, Wakaa The Musical, Moremi The Musical, Fela and the Kalakuta Queens and ‘Fela’s Republic and The Kalakuta Queens won’t be forgotten in a hurry. It would be fair to say of Terra Kulture, that it is the home of arts and culture.
The founder of Terra Kulture is Bolanle Austen-Peters. At 52, she has conquered both film and theatre and has rightly earned the title, “Queen of Nigerian Theatre” by which she is fondly referred. Under Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions, all of the six stories she has told through theatre have been applauded by fans and critics, receiving both local and international accolades.
Her first known work under Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions, Saro the Musical received nods from international media houses including the BBC and Sky News. Her second work, Wakaa the Musical became the first Nigerian Musical to be staged in London’s West End. It also recorded a historic sold out show at the Shaw theatre London from July 21 – 25, 2016. With Fela and The Kalakuta Queens musical, she produced one of the biggest shows out of West Africa with over 120,000 people watching it in Lagos, Cairo and down south in Pretoria between 2017 and 2020.
Her impact on the film industry is also undeniable. She co-produced 93 Days, a feature film on the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria. The film was selected for premiering and viewing at The Toronto International Film Festival, The Chicago Film Festival, The Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, The Johannesburg Film Festival, The Africa Film Festival in Cologne/Germany, and RapidLion Award. With thirteen nominations, it became the highest-nominated film at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. It also received 7 nominations at the 2017 African Movie Academy Awards.
Less than five months after retelling the story of Oluronbi in a beautiful and elaborate MTN-sponsored musical, Austen-Peters made good on her assertion, “We are going to bring you stories that are authentically Nigerian.” Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions, partnered with the MTN Foundation to bring Death and the King’s Horseman, a play written by the erudite Professor Wole Soyinka in the mid 1970’s while on exile, to the Terra Kulture stage. The play was praised by the audience and critics for its brilliant production, stage design, costume and acting. But no one was surprised at the amazing quality of the work because that’s precisely what BAP is known for.
The post The Remarkable Feats of Bolanle Austen-Peters appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.
Source: TheNet
