There was total darkness on stage except for the young maidens bearing candle lights and crying out to one another in fear stricken voices. ‘Hauwa, Mariam, Fatima, Paula…’ they called in confusion and palpable terror, but in total submission to their unfortunate fate and the will of their captors. It was so graphic, leaving nothing to the imagination of the audience, most of who were already in tears before their candles went off. That was the impressive theatrical opening of ‘Hear Word!
Naija Woman Talk True’, a play that was performed at the Muson Centre during the weekend as they remembered the abducted girls from Chibok, Borno State with that grand opening. Performed by experienced and popular stage and screen actresses such as Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, Joke Silva, Iretiola Doyle, Bimbo Akintola, Omonor, Dakore, Elvina Ibru, Rita Edward, Zara Ejoh, Odenike, Deborah Ohiri and Ufuoma McDermott, who presented serious issues in funny ways that left the audience cheerful and tearful at various times, Hear Word is a mixture of true life stories, of transformation, social commentary and brilliant production which ushers the audience into the intimate lives of Nigerian women and womenfolk in general..
From the travails of daughters- in-law in the hands of their mothers-in-law, to the agony of the widow suspected to be the cause of her husband’s death, the victim of rape who could tell no one, and the degradation of the woman asked by her husband to warm the bed of his friend in the name of hospitality, to the battered wife who suddenly grabbed and twisted her husband’s manhood to save herself, the widow who was to be deprived of all her life’s earnings by her in-laws but by a stroke of wisdom and the help of the law overcame them, to the trafficked girl who dammed all consequences to report her mistress to the authorities and more, the cast gave the audience good value for their time and money.
‘Hear Word’ also featured the V Monologues taken by Ajai-Lycett and later, Ufuoma McDermott, eliciting a feeling of embarrassment portrayed by whispers and murmurs at first, and sheer laughter when McDermott came on stage as a born again, Bible carrying Sister Esther talking about the pleasures of sex.
Esther was brought up to see sex as not just sinful but one of the wiles of the devil through which he deceives children of God. She prayed, casting and binding the devil after her first orgasm. But with the kind explanation of her husband, she came to realise that it is created by God and that it is good and should be enjoyed.
“Now when my vagina sings, I sing too,” she said to the audience that was already reeling in laughter. The play is directed by Ifeoma Fafunwa, a professional creative director. She brought her over 20 years of experience working in the United States, United Kingdom and involvement in women issues in Nigeria to bear in this wonderful play. Fafunwa who is also one of the writers said the title is an encouragement to Nigerian women to speak up and end the injustices perpetrated against them with impunity by the society. “I wanted Nigerians to listen to women.
The full title is ‘Hear word, Naija Woman Talk True’. It is like urging the Nigerian women to ‘speak up the truth; stop pretending that nothing is happening to you.’ This is because the Nigerian woman is trained not to say anything. If you are raped, you don’t say anything lest you lose your value.
If you are battered by your husband, you don’t say a word because there is nobody to really help you. So what we are saying is tell the truth about what is going on so you can move beyond it,” she said, adding that their expectation is that the audience hear the word and think about where in their lives they may be limited. “How is it that you talk about another woman that you don’t even know? What is it that you tell your daughter that you shouldn’t tell her that is making her feel inferior?
What is it that you tell your son that is making him not to treat his wife properly?” Hear Word has been staged in the open and at the National Theatre, Iganmu, to enable more Nigerian women who are raising the next generation of Nigerians, no matter their social status, to watch it and Hear Word.
In an interview after their excellent performance, Silva said that Hear Word is going to be a movement in which more women would write their own stories. “Hear Word has a long history. It has been performed in different parts of the world but it started out as Vagina Monologues and we adapted it and came up with V Monologues.
We now claimed it even more and came up with Hear Word. Hear Word is the Nigerian version, written by Nigerians. It is going to be a movement in which we expect more women to write their stories.” An excellent production with superb lightings and wonderful percussion, ‘Hear Word’ is not just a must watch, its timely message is a must spread.
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