The 2026 MUSON Festival is to kick off with the presentation of two plays.
It is the first time in the 30 years of the festival that such is happening. The two plays, Wanted In-laws and Jigida, are billed for Saturday October 31, 2026 at the Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
Sponsored through the joint venture of NNPC and Chevron, the day’s curtain raiser (Matinee), is Jigida which commences by 12 noon. It is a compelling drama about equality and social justice. While the evening performance, Wanted In-Laws, kicks off by 6pm.
The two comedies are written and directed by Leke Gbolade, one of the three Nigerian theatre directors/producers at the inaugural Lagos Theatre Festival and Technical Director for two seasons of Mamma Mia! Nigeria.
According to Gbolade “Live theatre is not for the faint-hearted because it confronts audiences with choices that fear, culture and religion would normally stop them from making. Wanted In-Laws is brutally honest, but deeply satisfying to experience.”
Wanted In-Laws stars Patrick Diabuah, Nini Mbonu, Omololu Sodiya, Gold Ikponmwosa, and Tola Adeleye. In the drama, a wife commits what her in-laws consider an “abominable act” against her husband. They invade the couple’s troubled home to castigate her. But events take an unexpected turn when the husband and wife, who are not even on speaking terms, choose to take sides with each other in defence of their home.
On the other hand, Jigida, is set in an idyllic village. Gripped by fear and tradition, the men, under the guise of performing rites to cleanse the land, trade young girls. For years, the women are silent. Jigida is a bold, musical, and unapologetically feminist folk comedy about power, complicity, and what happens when women decide that enough is enough. It stars: Ken Ayeni, Najite Dede, Davidson David, Oluwole Muyiwa Moses, Alidou Samuel Boluwatife, amongst others.
The 2026 MUSON Festival is billed to run from October 23 to November 8, 2026, with fascinating lineup of events including ten major concerts, and a symposium. It will feature a medley of classical music, jazz, operatic performances, theatre, exhibitions, and youths programmes. The 2026 episode of the festival is particularly significant as it brings together four major milestones: 43 years of MUSON Centre, 37 years of the MUSON Basic School of Music, 30 years of the MUSON Festival and 20 years of the MUSON School of Music Diploma Programme sponsored by the MTN Foundation.
