NHB Modern Plays- Once Upon a Time in Sokoto

An exhilarating play about the struggle for power in pre-colonial Nigeria, combining traditional Nigerian and contemporary oral storytelling. Winner of the Alfred Fagon Award. Premiered on a UK tour in 2026. 'There are powers that bind the world together, softer than spirits yet stronger than stone, that tie the river to the tree, the tree to rain clouds, rain clouds to the land, and people to each other.' In pre-colonial Sokoto, an unlikely friendship is forged between an enslaved woman and her former master. Can Nafisa and Zinari overcome the differences in their faith, culture and heritage as new enemies emerge and a new Nigeria takes shape? Once Upon a Time in Sokoto blends traditional Nigerian and contemporary oral storytelling to delve into power struggles, the politics of language, and the dominance of faiths as kingdoms rise and fall. Winner of the Alfred Fagon Award, this gripping and epic play was first performed on a UK tour in 2026, directed by Roy Alexander Weise and produced by Fuel in association with Touring Together.