Arcola Theatre

New Nigerians

Oladipo Agboluaje

Directed by: Rosamunde Hutt

★★★★ “Suffused with warmth, hopefulness and humour, New Nigerians is no ordinary political satire.” – The Stage


Nigeria: ‘The Giant of Africa’. Conservatives rule over the biggest economy on the continent, and one of the largest and youngest populations in the world. What if the people wanted something different? What if they got it?

Following a sold-out run in 2017, and ahead of a national tour, Oladipo Agboluaje’s smash-hit comedy returns to Arcola for three weeks only.

‘Packed with killer lines and comic characters’ (Exeunt), this new play from the winner of the Alfred Fagon Award for playwriting is a timely satire on the state of populism in our politics.

Patrice Naiambana (The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives) returns as the rabble-rousing Greatness Ogholi in Rosamunde Hutt’s acclaimed production.

As time runs out to build a coalition, can Greatness win power without losing his integrity? Could this be the beginning of a new Nigeria?


Pre-show discussion, Tuesday 4 September at 6.15pm

Join Oladipo Agboluaje, award winning Hackney-born Nigerian writer of New Nigerians and recently appointed Writer in Residence at the National Theatre, in conversation with Professor Osita Okagbue of the Theatre and Performance Department of Goldsmiths, award-winning playwright and screenwriter Ade Solanke, and Welcome to Lagos novelist Chibundu Onuzo on African theatre and the richness of contemporary Nigerian writing.
Free for same-day ticket holders.

Post-show discussion, Friday 7 September

With Patrice Naiambana and other members of the company.
Free for same-day ticket holders.


New Nigerians will tour the UK in September and October. Click here for more info →