Oladipo Agboluaje

Of what use is a good man without ambition? Set during the civil wars of 19th-century Yorubaland, Crown of Blood is a powerful retelling of the classic Macbeth, adapted by Oladipo Agboluaje. Crown of Blood follows the story of General Aderemi. Fresh from saving the kingdom from invaders, he is promoted to Field Marshall, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the oracle. When the oracle says he will become King, Aderemi and his wife Oyebisi go on a bloody mission to ensure he sits on the throne. This edition was published to coincide with the co-production between Utopia Theatre and Sheffield Theatres at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield and the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry in February 2026.

Nigeria: ‘the Giant of Africa’. Conservatives rule over the biggest economy on the continent, and one of the largest and youngest populations in the world. What if the people wanted something different? What if they got it? As time runs out to build a coalition which can challenge the ruling party, can progressive forces overcome their personal and political differences, or will their troubled pasts define an even more troubling future?

An ordinary school day. But today, there is no going home. When the rest of the world has forgotten your existence, where do you run when the Apocalypse looms? The dock? The navy base? Or do you just sit tight and ride the whole thing out? In a city overcome with death, we are finally forced to start living. A provocative and darkly comic new play, by award-winning playwright Oladipo Agboluaje, exploring our technological dependency, social resilience and the need to belong

This is the first collection of plays by award-winning playwright Oladipo Agboluaje, a significant force in Black British drama. Described as an ‘exciting, vital new voice’ (Time Out), Agboluaje demonstrates his versatility to write plays that transcend African and British cultures. Early Morning is a satirical comedy about three Nigerian office cleaners who decide to mount a coup to institute Blackocracy in Great Britain.‘The comedy is witty, astute and sublimely irresponsible‘ The SpectatorThe Estate centres on the conflicts within the wealthy Adeyemi family as they make funeral arrangements for their late patriarch, Chief Adeyemi. The Estate is also a social study of class conflict in Nigeria.'Agboluaje writes with a sharp, satiric eye.’ GuardianThe Christ of Coldharbour Lane is the story of Omo who, believing he is the son of God, preaches to the people of Brixton to abandon the 'wilful peace' that is holding them down.‘an often hilarious, and often profound, snapshot of modern London...[a] thought-provoking piece of original theatre.’ The StageThe Hounding of David Oluwale is based on Kester Aspden's award-winning book and reworks the tragic story of David Oluwale, who was hounded by two police officers in 1960s Leeds, and of the man who fought to get justice for him.‘a shocking and engrossing story...a kind of In Cold Blood set in Leeds’ Financial TimesIyale (The First Wife) is the prequel to The Estate and tells the story of Helen Adeyemi's rise from being the servant to becoming the wife of the patriarch, Chief Adeyemi.‘satirical yet sympathetic, brutal yet beautifully observed.‘ The Times

An engaging classroom playscript. Seeking shelter in a desolate graveyard, Mamo stumbles upon Dani, a fellow fugitive in the dangerous city of Addis Ababa. Both boys are desperately trying to outrun their past: Mamo has escaped the horrors of slavery while Dani has sacrificed a life of luxury by running away from his domineering father. Forced to live and work on a dumpsite in order to survive, just how long can they run before their pasts catch up with them?

The long-awaited prequel to the hugely successful The Estate, which is currently being adapted for film.

This is a collection of three thirty-minute plays by leading playwrights for children to perform, commissioned by the Unicorn. Class Acts includes: The Wish Collector by Oladipo Agboluaje, The Acme Thunderer by Lin Coghlan, and Of the Terrifying Events on the Hamelin Estate by Philip Osment.

"Brixton... A great spillover of excessive dreams. Anonymous masses... All of you are dancers of the dying beat. I come with the strong arm to ignite the rhythm, to drive again your passion for life." A revolutionary preacher begs the crowds to 'abandon the willful peace' that keeps them down. He tries to make them believe that things could be different. But, when people pray only for a brand new car or a large KFC bucket, the citizens of Brixton need a miracle to happen...

This is a powerful yet comic tale of explosive family secrets and the dead hand of a corrupt patriarchy. Inspired by Chekhov but set in contemporary Lagos, Nigeria, Chief (Mrs) Adeyemi is engulfed in burial arrangements for her recently deceased husband, an influential entrepreneur with an extended family scattered across the globe. His children arrive from abroad to hear their father's Will. As they divide his estate an unnatural turn of events takes place and sparks begin to fly. "The Estate" is on tour in a production by Tiata Fahodzi ('theatre of the emancipated'), directed by Femi Elufowoju, Jr.