Bola Agbaje is a British-born
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
of
Nigerian
Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...
origin.
["The Write Stuff: Stenham & Other Courtiers"]
''What's On Stage'', 28 April 2008.
Biography
Born in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, Agbaje has spent almost her entire life in England, living in Nigeria between the ages of six and eight.
Formerly an actress, Agbaje's works explore the African condition both in England and abroad, mainly exploring the assimilation and social dynamics in African communities. Works such as
Gone Too Far!
''Gone Too Far!'' is a play written by Bola Agbaje.
It was produced at the Royal Court Theatre in February 2007, and won the Olivier Award
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of L ...
, and ''Belong'' examine these elements alongside the tensions and conflicts between racial and ethnic identities.
Agbaje's first play ''
Gone Too Far!
''Gone Too Far!'' is a play written by Bola Agbaje.
It was produced at the Royal Court Theatre in February 2007, and won the Olivier Award
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of L ...
'' was produced at the
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, where it won the
2008 .
["Gone Too Far! on Tour"]
Royal Court, 2008. It was later revived for very brief runs at the
Albany Theatre and
Hackney Empire
Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by ''The Guardian'' as ‘the most beautiful theatre in L ...
.
Agjabe also wrote the plays ''The Burial'' and ''
Belong
Belong may refer to:
Music
* Belong (band), an American experimental music duo
Albums
* ''Belong'' (Kevin Walker album) or the title song, 2013
* ''Belong'' (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart album) or the title song, 2011
* ''Belong'', by Sa ...
''.
In 2018, Agbaje was elected as a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, th ...
(RSL), one of 40 under the age of 40 elected in an RSL initiative designed "to address historical biases".
References
Living people
Laurence Olivier Award winners
Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature
Year of birth missing (living people)
Black British writers
{{UK-playwright-stub