CELEBRATING TAIWO AJAI-LYCETT @ 70

The Committee for Relevant Art, CORA in collaboration with the African Movies Academy Awards, AMAA, present:

ARTHOUSE FORUM

in celebration of the 70th Birthday Anniversary of the veteran actress and stage matriarch, TAIWO AJAI-LYCETT.

Theme: STATE OF THE STAGE: CONVERSATION WITH, AND AROUND TAIWO AJAI-LYCETT featuring dialogue between TAIWO AJAI-LYCETT and two Sister Actresses -- TINA MBA and KATE HENSHAW.

Also, Q & A between the veteran actress and the audience.

Moderator: WOLE OGUNTOKUN (Director, Theatre @ Terra)

Date: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Time: 2PM

Venue: TRIBECA, Adetokunbo Ademola Street (opposite Eko Hotel, VI, Lagos

Gate: FREE

TAIWO AJAI-LYCETT, OON, FELLOW (SONTA)

Taiwo Ajai-Lycett was born in Lagos, Nigeria, on  February 3, 1941. She was honoured with an OON (Officer of the Order of the Niger) in the 2006 Nigerian National Honours List by President Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Republic of Nigeria on October 1st – on Nigeria’s 47th Independence Day Anniversary. She was, also honoured in the same year, with a Heritage & Honours Award of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, for her services to the profession of Advertising in Nigeria, and as a former Executive Member of the Association. Taiwo is also a Fellow (SONTA) a Fellow of the Society of Nigerian Theatre Artists.

     Taiwo attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, City Literary Institute, (City Lit.) and the Dance Centre, Floral Street, Covent Garden, London, studying Acting, Music, Voice, Singing, Ballet, Modern and Contemporary Dance. She is professionally trained in front and behind the camera, qualifying as a Television Producer/Presenter at The London School of Television Production.

    Taiwo has performed in many leading theatres in the UK, such as the Traverse Theatre at the Edinburgh International Festival; the Gaiety Theatre, at the Dublin International Theatre Festival; The Bristol Old Vic; The Hampstead Theatre Club; the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in Richard Wagner’s Tannhauser; The Royal Court Theatre; The Palace Theatre, Westcliffe; and The Mercury Theatre, Colchester. She has also appeared in numerous UK Television drama productions for the BBC (TV & Radio Drama), ATV, Granada, COI, ILEA and Thames Television. She had a film appearance in the film A WARM DECEMBER starring and directed by iconic Oscar winner, Sidney Poitier.

     She appeared recently, in July, 2007, at the Almeida Theatre in the Almeida Opera’s & Streetwise production, Critical Mass, directed by Emma Bernard and Composer Orlando Gough.

Her stage appearances in Nigeria and on Nigerian National Television include, Song of a Goat by J P Clark; Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman; The Lion and the Jewel; Wale Ogunyemi’s The Divorce; Fred Agbeyegbe’s The King Must Dance Naked; Wole Oguntokun’s The Inheritors; Arnold Weskers’ Shylock; Laolu Ogunniyi’s television series, Winds Against My Soul; Jab Adu’s The Young Ones; and Nigerian Television Authority’s The Honourable; For Better for Worse, Eyo Fancy and Rasheed Gbadamosi’s The Mansion; Wole Oguntokun’s The Inheritor

For her meritorious service to the cause of Creative Arts, Education, Business and Community Development, Taiwo has received several other Awards, among which are Outstanding Role & Enviable Accomplishment Award 1997 (Neimeth/Pfizer-CKC Partners); The REELS Merit Award (the Academy of Creative Arts in Nigeria) 1999; The Amazon Award – for Outstanding Contributions to Nation Building 2002; Award for Service as a Mentor in the FATE Programme for Aspiring Entrepreneurs, 2001; the Lagos State Government’s Merit Award in Recognition of Meritorious Service Towards the Advancement of Education in the Alimoso Local Government Education District of Lagos State, 2005; Tiwa ’n’ Tiwa – Lagos State Television & Broadcasting Corporation; Recognition – Main Frame Film & TV Productions; and Opal Awards, among others.

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Taiwo Ajai-Lycett had her early school years in Lagos, Nigeria, and was a Pupil Teacher before proceeding to the UK in 1960 in search of the ‘Golden Fleece’! She worked as waitress/washer-upper at Lyon’s Tea Shop in the City and from 1960 to 1962, studied at night schools and at Pitman’s College, London. Taiwo combined working with further education, attending the Christine Shaw School of Beauty Science and Cosmetology, London; the North Staffordshire College of Technology (now Keele University) and graduated with the Higher National Diploma in Business Studies in 1969 at the Hendon College of Technology.

TINA MBA

Tina Mba is a household name in entertainment industry both in  Nigeria and Africa. Her performances over the years have earned  her the respectable and envied position she now enjoys. She is an  actress and Producer of over two decades and a mother of two kids. She has produced two majors plays namely, Williams Shakespare’s ‘AS YOU LIKE IT’ in 1989 and the return of ‘GOLDEN SWORD’ in 2008. Some of her works on stage are: Visit of Bishop Alaba   (National Troupe of Nigeria); Women of Owu  (National  Troupe of Nigeria); Lion and the Jewel (Dir. Felix Okolo); Aetu  (Dir. Ahmed Yerima); Midnight Hotel  (Dir. Femi Osofisan);  One Legend Many Sessions (Dir. Osofisan); The Return of the Golden  Sword (Dir. Niji Akanni); Toy Soldier Boy Soldier  (for Coja 2003); Ipheginia finds Aiyelala  (Dir. Ben Tomoloju for  Afrika Projekt/German Cultural Center); Asylanten   (Dir. Ben Tomoloju for Afrika Projekt/German Cultural Center).  She is currently involved in Wole Soyinka’s Beatification of an Area boy. Some of her works on TV are:-  Everyday People  (Dir. Tajudeen Adepetu);   Magnate  (Dir.  Taiwo Ogundipe); Living Next to You    (Dir.Opa Williams); Behind the Siege (Dir. Tade Ogidan); Tides to Fate   (Dir.Royal Roots); Shadows    (Dir. Dunfex Produnctions); Foot Prints   (Dir. Isichei Productions) Her works on Film include: Baba Zak  (by Ladi Ladebo on 35mm);  Metamorphosis (by Royal Roots on 16mm); Tango with me  (by Brick wall (Mahmod Balogun) 35mm); Some of her works on Radio are: Inspector Joe     (Prod. Ihria Inkhimio); Sisi Clara (Prod. Bimbo Manuel).

KATE HENSHAW

   Henshaw-Nuttall is the oldest of four children. After completing her primary and 
secondary school in Lagos and Calabar, she spent one year at the University of 
Calabar reading remedial studies, and then majored in Medical Microbiology 
at the School of Medical Lab Science, LUTH (Lagos University Teaching Hospital)
in Lagos. Henshaw-Nuttall worked at the Bauchi State General hospital.

Her career began In 1993, when she auditioned for an acting job in the movie 
When the Sun Sets and was handed the role. This was her first appearance 
in a major Nollywood movie.

Kate Henshaw-Nuttall has starred in over 40 Nollywood movies.

In 2008 she won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress 

in a Leading Role for the film Stronger than Pain.[2] She is presently 

"The Face of Onga".[1]

Her work on Screen include: Broken Tears 1 & 2 (2008); River of Tears;  

Take Me to Jesus 1 & 2 (2008);  Tears in My Eyes 1 & 2 ; A Brighter Sun 1 & 2; 

(One Life (2007);  Show Me Heaven (2007); Stronger Than Pain;  

To Love and to Hold 2 (2007); A Million Tears 2 ; Blood on Ice 2;  

Consequences (2006) ; Costly Mistake (2006);  

Costly Mistake 2 (2006); Games Men Play 2 (2006); My Little Secret (2006);

 She 2: You Must Obey (2006);  The Search (2006) (V) [Actress];  

Diamond Forever (2005); Diamond Forever 2 (2005); Emotional Hazard 2 (2005); 

 Girls in the Hood 2 (2005); The Bridesmaid (2005) (V) [Actress] ; 

 The Carcass (2005) Inheritance (2004) ;  Negative Influence (2004) ;  

Sleeping with the Enemy (2004/I); The Legend 2 (2004);  

The Stolen Bible 2 (2004);  The Substitute (2004) ; Domitilla (1996); 

 Silent Night 2 (1996).

On Stage: She has featured in The Other Side; and in 

The V-Monologue (2008 & 2110 (Nigeria); also in Ghana) 

directed by Wole Oguntokun, among other plays.

MODERATOR:

WOLE OGUNTOKUN

Wole Oguntokun, a trained lawyer is a playwright, stage and film director, theatre 
administrator and columnist. His written and directed plays include:
"Who's Afraid of Wole Soyinka?", "Rage of the Pentecost" (August 2002), 
"Ladugba!" (September 2002), "The Other Side" (November 2002). In 2003, 
he produced his adaptation of 'The Pied Piper of Hamelin' titled "Piper, Piper" 
(March 2003), and "Gbanja Roulette” in May and July 2003. In December 2003, 
he featured the matriarch of Nigerian Drama, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, in his play,  
"The Inheritors". Other plays of his produced at the Muson Centre include
"Prison Chronicles" in March 2004, "The Other Side" starring Kate Henshaw-Nuttall 
(November 2005), "The Sound and The Fury" (April 2006), "The Inheritors" 
featuring Joke Silva (August 2006), and "Anatomy of a Woman" featuring  
Stella Damasus-Aboderin (March 2007).  Plays by other playwrights Wole 
produced at the Muson Centre include "The Trials Of Brother Jero" by 
Professor Wole Soyinka (July 2 and 3, 2005) and Professor Femi Osofisan's
"Once upon Four Robbers" in December 2004. He directed Aime Cesaire's 
"A Season in the Congo" for the Lagos State Government-sponsored 
"Black Heritage Festival" in April 2010. Early in 2010, Wole was commissioned 
to write and direct a play on the life and times of Bishop Samuel Ajai Crowther,
the first Black African Bishop of the Anglican Church, titled "Ajai The Boy Slave" 
made up of cast members from Britain and Nigeria.He is currently Assistant 
Director to ProfessorWole Soyinka in the production of the Professor's 
"The Beatification of Area Boy,"  which also has Tima Mba in the cast.