Episodes
| First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 20210228 | New Perspectives and Naked Productions present the Radio 3 debut of award winning stage production of the 2015 Man Booker Prize-shortlisted novel The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma, one of Africa's major new voices, in a new adaptation by Gbolahan Obisesan. The original stage cast (including Valentine Olukoga, winner of Best Actor, Black British Theatre Awards, 2019) has been reunited with director Jack McNamara to recreate their electrifying stage show for BBC Radio 3. The play is set on the banks of the river in Akure, Nigeria. Two brothers, Ben and Obembe, reunite after eight years, and retell the story of their Igbo childhoods in southern Nigeria in the mid '90s. The fishermen are the two children themselves, alongside their two older teenage brothers. The boys become haunted upon hearing Abulu, the village madman’s, terrifying Macbeth-like prophecy. The story that follows charts a family tragedy. The death of their eldest brother, at the hands of the second eldest, who then flees, as prophesised by Abulu, sparks a terrible revenge that divides the two younger brothers. Cast Director, Jack McNamara The New Perspectives theatre production was first seen at Home Manchester, Edinburgh Assembly, Arcola Theatre, Derby Theatre, Trafalgar Studios, garnering rave reviews:. “Something very special” The Guardian The Writer “Chigozie Obioma truly is the heir to Chinua Achebe” New York Times Book Review The dramatist A New Perspectives and Naked Production for BBC Radio 3 A powerful allegory of brotherhood, vengeance and fate. Series of drama performances, ranging from experimental works to the Classics | |
| 20210228 | 20210404 (R3) | New Perspectives and Naked Productions present the Radio 3 debut of award-winning stage production of the 2015 Man Booker Prize-shortlisted novel The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma, one of Africa's major new voices, in a new adaptation by Gbolahan Obisesan. The original stage cast (including Valentine Olukoga, winner of Best Actor, Black British Theatre Awards, 2019) has been reunited with director Jack McNamara to recreate their electrifying stage show for BBC Radio 3. The play is set on the banks of the river in Akure, Nigeria. Two brothers, Ben and Obembe, reunite after eight years, and retell the story of their Igbo childhoods in southern Nigeria in the mid '90s. The fishermen are the two children themselves, alongside their two older teenage brothers. The boys become haunted upon hearing Abulu, the village madman’s, terrifying Macbeth-like prophecy. The story that follows charts a family tragedy. The death of their eldest brother, at the hands of the second eldest, who then flees, as prophesised by Abulu, sparks a terrible revenge that divides the two younger brothers. "I cannot tell you enough how much I love the play adaptation of The Fishermen. Seeing the play last year was probably the biggest moment of my life so far outside of some very personal moments like my wedding. Gbolahan Obisesan and New Perspective's Jack McNamara distilled the book into two characters who move fluidly through different characters. They electrify the book and create such emotional atmosphere that I feared I would be hung at the stakes by the crowd afterwards for creating the story because of how many people were crying around me at the end of the show!" - Chigozie Obioma, 2019 extract from an interview in The Bookseller. Cast Director, Jack McNamara The New Perspectives theatre production was first seen at Home Manchester, Edinburgh Assembly, Arcola Theatre, Derby Theatre, Trafalgar Studios, garnering rave reviews: . “Something very special” The Guardian The Writer “Chigozie Obioma truly is the heir to Chinua Achebe” New York Times Book Review The dramatist A New Perspectives and Naked Production for BBC Radio 3 A powerful allegory of brotherhood, vengeance and fate. Series of drama performances, ranging from experimental works to the Classics |