Finding Adaora
Finding Adaora is a totally exhilarating play about black identity and diasporan relations that forces one to come to terms with, and take pride in who they are, and to refuse the perceptions and labels placed on them. This is very relevant in Nigeria today, with all the unwholesome perceptions of ethnic identity causing so much friction and conflict – attributes that are great for drama but not for nationhood!
The story is about a conflicted British woman of African descent who goes to Nigeria in search of her identity, only to find that skin colour is not the first or most important classification of human affinity. Her unique encounters at the hands of her Nigerian driver, Udoka, and his spurious side-kick, Emem, force her to rethink her values and the meaning of being African. When she chooses to change her name and adopt Nigeria as her home, she gets more than she bargained for! FINDING ADAORA was first shown at the British Council in Abuja with repeat performances, and has since been seen by audiences in their thousands.
The writers, Roli Ukwu and Segun Michaels have done a sterling work in expressing such a globally relevant thought about identity and race relations, in so poignant and compelling a manner. Their work is – if nothing else – sublime.