You don’t have to be a fan of Nollywood movies, or even have a clue what Nollywood means, to thoroughly enjoy Jocelyn Bioh’s hilarious new comedy. Set in Lagos in the early 1990s, when the scrappy, low-budget Nigerian film industry was beginning its rise to becoming one of the largest in the world, Nollywood Dreams feels universal in its send-up of celebrity culture and show business dreams. While not quite as emotionally resonant as Bioh’s breakthrough work School Girls; or, the African Mean Girl Play, it delivers ample doses of the laughs and heart for which the playwright has quickly made a name for herself.
Under the terrifically fast-paced direction of Saheem Ali (who also did a superb job staging Bioh’s Shakespeare adaptation Merry Wives, a hit in Central Park last summer), an outstanding ensemble dig into their sometimes overly broad roles with the sort of comic gusto that immediately proves infectious.
The story revolves around the aspirations of Ayamma (Sandra Okuboyejo), who works with her older sister Dede (Nana Mensah) in their parents’ travel agency office but dreams of being a film actress. So she’s understandably excited to learn that Nigerian filmmaker Gbenga Ezie (Charlie Hudson, III), who has recently returned to the country after a brief sojourn in American, is holding an open casting call for his upcoming romantic drama “The Comfort Zone.” Both women are even more excited to learn that the film’s male lead will be Wale (Ade Otukoya), the reigning Nigerian film heartthrob.
[Read David Finkle’s ★★★★☆ review here.]
Ayamma, who’s eagerly prepared for the audition by reading Michael Caine’s book Acting in Film and memorizing every word of the movie script, has formidable competition for the lead role of Comfort. It’s Nigerian film star Fayola (Emana Rachelle), who thoroughly leans into her reputation as “the Nigerian Halle Berry…with Tina Turner legs.” Fayola also has an edge because of her previous relationship, both professional and personal, with the director, and her knowledge of his shady past involving a fake marriage in America and Internet scams. The not-so-veiled hostility between the two women provide some of the play’s funniest moments, as do the comic interludes featuring television talk show interviews conducted by Adenikeh (Abena), the “Nigerian Oprah Winfrey.”
The play’s storyline is paper thin, giving it a decidedly sitcomish feel, and such plot elements as the romantic flirtation that develops between Ayamma and the hunky Wale feel tacked on to give the evening a Cinderella glow. But it doesn’t matter, thanks to Bioh’s talent for witty dialogue, especially of the bitchily nasty kind, as expertly delivered in rapid-fire fashion by the talented performers who are perfectly attuned to the play’s rhythms (the accents take some getting used to). There’s a final treat in store at the conclusion, in the form of a delightfully cheesy film trailer for “The Comfort Zone” indicating that it would fit in perfectly at the Lifetime channel.
Benefiting greatly from Dede Ayite’s colorful costumes and Arnulfo Maldonado’s versatile set design that effectively transforms into various locations with the simplest of means, Nollywood Dreams is the sort of frothy theatrical fun for which audiences should be grateful.
Nollywood Dreams opened November 11, 2021, at the MCC Theater Space and runs through November 28. Tickets and information: mcctheater.org
