Funny, heartbreaking and painfully real, ÌLỌ́YÁ… the Journey Begins is a powerful story about ambition, love, loss and everything we carry with us when we leave home.
Presented as part of the Open Works Festival, this production by Oluwasegun Lafup Ogundipe follows Mokan, a young man who believes he has his future figured out: secure his dream job at Shell, build his father a house and marry his sweetheart, Sade.
But Lagos has other plans. Jobs disappear, relationships fall apart and his father’s time begins to run out. Armed with little more than a backpack filled with hope—and letters he never had the opportunity to read—Mokan makes one final gamble on a new beginning.
Just when he believes he has escaped his past, it catches up with him at an airport, where a letter changes everything.
Rich in African culture and told with warmth, humour and emotional honesty, ÌLỌ́YÁ explores the dreams people pursue, the sacrifices they make and what they leave behind when beginning a new journey.
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