Meet The Adebanjos is the brainchild of Debra Odutuyo, a British Nigerian from south London. Debra grew up in a loving, supportive family full of laughs and wondered why similar tales of contemporary African family life were not reflected on British television. With a background in producing, Debra decided to create a sitcom centred around a Nigerian family called the Adebanjos but unsurprisingly found it difficult to get a TV network to back them.
Deciding to take matters in her own hands, the budding TV producer set up her own production company and made her vision a reality. Meet The Adebanjos immediately gained a strong following when it made its debut on the internet and subsequently caught the eye of and TV channel Vox Africa who snapped it up. But the story doesn’t end there. Recently, the lovable family hit the theatre circuit and the press night for the show took place last week. Remember guest blogger Leonie O’Connor? Well Leonie attended the event exclusively for The Cocoa Diaries. Read what she had to say about the show.
Following a successful stint on TV, the slightly erratic but lovable Adebanjos have finally hit the stage with a bang! Bayo, Gladys, Sade and Toby were on fine form as a British-Nigerian family living in Peckham, with dad Bayo trying to instil his traditional African values on his two children, without much luck.
The first half of the play saw Gladys waiting for the ultra romantic anniversary gift that Bayo promised her the year before, only to find out that he had forgotten (typical man). Of course, Gladys gets upset, which sends Bayo into damage control with hilarious results. Meanwhile Auntie Funke embarks on a strict diet in order to fit into her dress and enlists the help of a personal trainer, played by Tolu Ogunmefun (AKA Don’t Jealous Me). Needless to say, Auntie Funke turns into a right diva but somehow manages to fit into her dress in time for the gala! And we cannot forget Toby and his partner in crime Kevin; who fancy themselves as modern day Casanovas.
The second half saw Sade trying to sneak out of the house to go to a Halloween party, Bayo getting conned by a preacher and Auntie Funke being Auntie Funke. The preacher’s impromptu Azonto drew huge cheers from the crowd, as did Kevin’s declaration of love for egusi soup.
Although I’d heard about Meet the Adebanjos before, I never got around to actually watching any of the episodes, so this was my first time meeting the family. I absolutely love the Adebanjos; they’re like a British version of My Wife and Kids. It’s always good to see more Black productions on TV and the stage in diverse roles and I really commend Debra Odutuyo for her perseverance in getting this show on air. If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting the Adebanjos yet, I suggest you do so ASAP.
To find out when the next show will take place visit here
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