Faith Omole’s incisive kitchen sink-esque drama simmers and resounds with secrets and contradictions.
Peace (Lade), a British-Nigerian woman grieving the loss of her father, discovers a half-brother, Bolu (Ogundipe), living in Nigeria. Her invitation for him to visit England leads to a clash with her mother Favour (Ayola), whose anxieties about Bolu’s intentions, punctuated by dramatic migraine attacks, mask deeper, closely guarded secrets. The ensemble cast delivers fully formed performances with depth and distinction, bringing Omole’s sharp writing to life.
Ayola is a formidable presence as Favour, her every move driven by a hidden agenda. Ogundipe is charismatic and unsettling as Bolu, leaving the audience unsure of his true motives. Akuwudike’s portrayal of Roy, Peace’s partner, offers a grounding presence amidst the emotional turmoil, his voice of reason proving unwelcome to Lade’s sensitive playing of a conflict-averse Peace as she grapples with competing loyalties.
My Father’s Fable is a powerful reminder that our ancestors are only a generation away, and the choices and secrets they keep cast long shadows. It’s a story about the weight of legacy, the yearning for connection to a complete history, found in both the details of our lives and the faces we see looking back at us. It questions the limitations we place on ourselves based on who we think we are. As children of immigrants, we often rely on our parents as gatekeepers to our personal and cultural histories, but what happens when those histories are incomplete or deliberately obscured? Under Rebekah Murrell’s deft direction, TK Hayโs meticulously detailed set, Majekodunmiโs evocative lighting design and XANAโs energetic sound design, the play expertly navigates these complex emotional landscapes, revealing the familyโs fault lines with tension and verve, ultimately showing that the truth, while painful, will set you free.
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