First Ever Afrobeats Musical to play at the Opera House Manchester on Tuesday 9th October.
Following its sold-out West End debut at the Lyric Theatre as the UK’s first ever Afrobeats musical in 2013, and a short-run at the legendary Hackney Empire in 2014, as well as a one-off special at the 2016 Lagos Theatre Festival, supported by British Council, and a week-long development residency at The Barbican, seminal Afrobeats musical Oliva Tweest: The AfroMusical is excited to announce its highly anticipated and long-awaited return, by way of a UK tour in October 2018, playing at Manchester’s Opera House for one-night only on Tuesday 9th October.
The critically acclaimed Oliva Tweest: The Musical has picked the perfect time in 2018 to return for a nationwide run, with the successful Broadway Hip-Hop musical Hamiltoncoming to London, and with the explosion of Afrobeats music all over the world, and especially in the UK over the past 12 months. From Nigerian star Wizkid selling out the O2 Arena for his AfroRepublik festival, and UK artists Yxng Bane and Not3s charting with their Afrobeats-inspired music, to BBC Radio 4 crowning it “the sound of the summer”, down to Nike selling out the Nigerian football World Cup kit in the UK in just 15 minutes, Afrobeats is fast leaving its mark on the national consciousness, and it feels like the right moment for Oliva Tweest: The AfroMusical to be making its long-awaited return.
Created by 2016 Sky Academy Arts Scholarship recipient; PureYinkz (Yinka Ayinde), Oliva Tweest: The AfroMusical is a captivating musical, which follows the ambitions of London hustler and club-promoter Tobi, who has no problem winning female attention, but yearns to shake off his shady reputation and move up in the world. Driven by his need to succeed, he plans the ultimate concert to attract his idol and Afrobeats legend D’Banj, naming it after the musician’s global hit ‘Oliver Twist.’ But when he finds out that the landlord of his chosen concert venue intends to convert the building into a church, Tobi is forced to disguise his true intentions.
Backed by an amazing cast of consummate performers, household cameos, acclaimed dancers, a clever mix of new songs created especially for the musical as well as renditions of some of the biggest Afrobeats hits from the likes of D’banj, Wizkid, Maleek Berry, Afro B and Tiwa Savage, exhilarating and high-energy choreography, dazzling costumes and a universal tale of love versus ambition, Oliva Tweest: The AfroMusical is ushering in a new era of musical theatre, entertainment and story-telling, in a way that has never been done before, exploring important themes around self-discovery, the true meaning of success, African culture in the diaspora, to mention a few.
Speaking about taking Oliva Tweest: The AfroMusical on tour, PureYinkz says, “It’s a dream come true for me to see the show going on tour with well-renowned venue partners. We have been given so much support and encouragement to get to this point. It will be the first time showcasing the fully developed Afrobeats show and we'll be working with the same partners as 'Motown The Musical', 'Matilda' and 'Wicked' so I am excited about what happens next. The theatre industry has been looking for this mythical ‘new audience’ but we are going to show them that the people are out there. I've developed this show to bring two worlds together - introducing a traditional theatre audience to the Afrobeats culture, and filling up theatres with young, energetic Afrobeats fans.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Creative Team
Creator/Producer/Director: Yinka Ayinde - Yinka also known by his stage name PureYinkz has worked in entertainment for the past 8 years starting off as a radio presenter and producer, rave promoter and co-host and marketing manager of ‘The Big Clash Gameshow’ while studying for his medical science degree at university.
He has a passion for entertaining live audiences and alongside his co-host Uncle D, has hosted over 100 live shows working with acts such as DJ P Montana, Afro B, The Compozers, Sneakbo and Mr Eazi to name a few.
In 2012, Yinka turned his attention to actually creating the shows and began piecing together Oliva Tweest aimed at celebrating and showcasing Afro-British culture and bringing theatre to a new audience. This started his journey towards becoming a theatre-maker and producer.
Yinka is on a mission to reinvent live entertainment for a new generation, creating authentic audience experiences by exploring ways to combine theatre, music, tech and experimenting with structure.
The creative director, producer and host's approach to developing live shows have earned him several Arts Council England and British Council grants for development, a Stage One Bursary award for new producers and being one of five people in Great Britain selected for the Sky Academy Arts Scholarship for creative producing.
Co-writer: Nana Duncan – Over the last decade Nana has written a number of short plays in association with Kids’ Company. In 2012 she teamed up with Yinka Ayinde as a book writer and in 2013 the first ever Afrobeats Musical Oliva Tweest was born.
Music Director: Seyi Ogunnaike (Pronounced ‘Shay-yee’) is a London based self-taught Arranger & Producer. In 2016, she honed the 02 Forum, Kentish Town, London, stage as the keyboardist for Mr.Eazi’s debut UK concert. Then In 2017, she performed at Mr Eazi’s 'Life Is Eazi Culture Fest' at the Roundhouse, Camden Town.
Composer: Jason Charles-Nelson is a renowned pianist, composer and musical director who has written and produced material for the likes of 2008 'The X Factor' winner Alexandra Burke, and MOBO Award-winning singer-songwriter, Rachel Kerr. Today, Jason leads the music direction for the successful theatre production, Oliva Tweest The Afromusical (2014-present)
Co-Producer: Yemisi Mokuolu is an independent producer and CEO of Hatch Ideas, Yemi Mokuolu has been working with amazing people and organisations to turn their ideas into reality. She has received a number of awards and recognition for her work, supporting the development of creative businesses, organisations and arts practitioners. She is best known for her work in raising the value of African creative content globally as the founder of ‘Out of Africa’ and for producing some of the UK’s largest African arts festivals.
Funders and Supporters
Arts Council England:
Founded in 1994, Arts Council England is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport that invest money from Government and the National Lottery to support arts and culture across England. It exists to champion develop and invest in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives, through supporting activities across the arts, museums and libraries - from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections.
The Africa Centre, which exists to promote Africa's creative expression and cultural diversity outside of the continent. For over 50 years, the Africa Centre has played a pivotal role in supporting African culture, enterprise and education in the UK.
Stage One is a charity that works in conjunction with the Society of London Theatre and many generous individuals, businesses, trusts and foundations to secure the future of commercial theatre through educational and investment schemes. Stage One endeavours to support new UK theatre producers with the first rung of their career ladder, as well as turn their entrepreneurial ideas and ambitions into reality.
CONNECT WITH OLIVA TWEEST: THE AFROMUSICAL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
Website: http://www.olivatweestmusical.
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