Ìyà-Ilé is set in Lagos, in 1989. Political hysteria and social change are sweeping Nigeria. Chief Adeyemi’s wife Toyin is turning 40 and, behind the mansion walls, the household is preparing for her party. But there are other distractions. Their troublesome sons, returning from college, are more interested in seduction and starting revolutions than their parents’ disintegrating marriage. Meanwhile Helen, the ambitious house girl, is waiting for her chance…

Ìyà-Ilé, which translates as The First Wife, is the long-awaited prequel to the hugely successful The Estate, which ran at Soho theatre in 2006 and is currently being adapted for film. A vibrant mix of comedy, political satire and family intrigue, Ìyà-Ilé is packed with witty dialogue and the music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey.

Ìyà-Ilé playwright Oladipo Agboluaje’s other plays include The Christ Of Coldharbour Lane and The Hounding Of David Oluwale. Theatre company Tiata Fahodzi last appeared at Soho theatre in 2007 with sell-out hit Joe Guy.