Titans of African Theatre, film and TV cast as lead characters in Death and the King’s Horseman

Two titans of African theatre, film and TV have been cast as the lead characters in Death and the King’s Horseman, a co-production from Utopia Theatre and Sheffield Theatres.   Wale Ojo is to take on the role of Elesin Oba, the King’s Horseman, while Kehinde Bankole will play Iyaloja, the mother of the market, in the production to be staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from Monday 3  – Saturday 8 February 2025.

Death and The King’s Horseman was written by Akinwale Oluwole Soyinka, known as Wole Soyinka, and is based on a true story whereby Elesin, the king’s horseman, is tasked with carrying out a sacred ritual upon the death of the king. Directed by Mojisola Kareem, Artistic Director of renowned African theatre company Utopia Theatre, the production will be a thought-provoking, resonant theatrical experience showcasing music and dance, deeply rooted in the culture and spirituality of the Yoruba people.

Ojo and Bankole will lead a cast of 26 when Death and the King’s Horseman is staged across eight performances at Sheffield Theatres’ Crucible in February, bringing the powerful story to the steel city for the first time. The cast list will include a combination of professional and non-professional cast members, with members of the ensemble joining as part of a community call out from the South Yorkshire area, as Utopia Theatre continues to make strides in opening up casting opportunities to acting talent in the local area.

Mojisola Kareem, Artistic Director and CEO at Utopia Theatre, said: “To be able to cast these two titans of African performance to the lead roles for our adaptation of Death and the King’s Horseman is an honour. Both are very highly regarded and their performances promise to be nothing short of outstanding.”

Wale Ojo started his acting career aged eight with Africa’s first TV station WNTV Ibadan, and established his early career in the UK, playing Othello in William Shakespeare’s Othello for the Tower Shakespeare Company in London’s East End. His work spans from In the Talking Dark and Les Blancs at Manchester’s Royal Exchange to performing at the Young Vic, Riverside Studios, Bristol Old Vic and the National Theatre with George Bernard Shaw’s Widowers Houses. Other notable theatre includes Bonded, The Gods Are Not To Blame, Tickets and Ties and The Estate amongst others for one of the UK’s foremost African theatre companies, Tiata Fahodzi, and Mother Courage and her Children for the English Touring Theatre.

Ojo has a long history of association with the Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. This includes reciting his poem A Telephone Conversation for the BBC Radio several decades ago to performing the play The Beatification of Area Boy twice at the Birmingham Rep and at the Freedom Park in Lagos, Nigeria. He also appeared in King Baabu in South Africa. Ojo was most recently seen playing Wole Soyinka himself in the writer’s prison memoirs titled The Man Died in a movie adaptation of his famous book now on cinema release.

Kehinde Bankole is a renowned Nigerian actress and producer who last year lent her voice to Disney’s Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire. She has a strong connection with Utopia Theatre, having recently played the parts of Aunty Jolie and Storyteller in the company’s UK-wide tour of Anna Hibiscus’ Song; as well as the character Iyalode in the The Duchess of Malfi (Iyalode of Eti), which was staged at Leeds Playhouse, Sheffield Theatres, CAST Doncaster and the Ake International Arts and Book Festival in Nigeria in 2016.

Bankole’s enormous talent has led to the portrayal of many roles at venues including Shakespeare’s Globe. She continues to make significant contributions to the growing world of cinema in Nigeria, starring in highly acclaimed blockbuster movies such as Adire, Blood Sisters and Sista on streaming platforms Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Both Bankole and Ojo are recipients of the AMVCA (Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice awards) as Best Lead Actor and Best Lead Actress respectively in 2024.

Death and the King’s Horseman was first staged in 1976 and continues to be produced around the world, including at the National Theatre in London and most recently for the Stratford Festival in Canada in 2023.Soyinka’s work intertwines traditional African theatre with contemporary themes, making Death and The King’s Horseman a compelling narrative of cultural duty versus personal dilemma. This production promises a captivating portrayal of Soyinka’s vision.

As an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO), Utopia Theatre is focused on delivering a programme of events and productions to share compelling stories of African diaspora and inspire the next generation of creatives. Sheffield Theatresand Utopia Theatre have worked together for more than a decade, and each year productions have grown in scale and size. This will be the biggest production run for Utopia Theatre.

Death and the King’s Horseman runs at the Crucible from Monday 3 –  Saturday 8 February 2025. Tickets are on sale now and can be booked through the Box Office in person, over the phone on 0114 249 6000 or at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.