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Bola Agbaje

BOLA AGBAJE

  (c1980 - )
Nationality:    English
twitter     email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    United Agents  represented by Giles Smart

Bola Agbaje was a member of the Young Writers' Programme at the Royal Court Theatre and her first play, GONe TOO FaR!, premiered there in February 2007, directed by Bijan Sheibani. the production won a 2008 Olivier award for Outstanding achievement in an affiliate Theatre and transferred to the Royal Court Theatre Downstairs for a sell-out run. Bola's second full play, Detaining Justice is played at the Tricycle Theatre as part of the prestigious Not Black and White season 2009. She is Pearson Playwright in Residence at Paines Plough, and is adapting GONe TOO FAR! for the UK Film Council and Poisson Rouge Pictures.

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below is a list of Bola Agbaje's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Anything You Can Do         Belong         Burial, The         Children's Monologues, The         Chocolate         Detaining Justice         Gone Too Far!         If Things Were Different         In Time         Off the Endz         Peckham: Soap Opera         Playing the Game         Playlist: International Women's MonthPlaylist         Take a Deep Breath and Breathe         Three Blind Mice         We Raise Girls!
Anything You Can Do

Synopsis:
Bola agbaje's snippet about a woman trying to keep up the wealthy facade while involved in local politics
- Corinne Salisbury, British theatre Guide

Notes:
Part of Soho theatre's season "everything Must Go" Short rapid response pieces relating to the economic crisis.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

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Genre:
Short play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Belong

Belong
Supporters keh. Forget this country. How many year have you lived here? Your english is better than the Queen's and they still call you. . . When Kayode's election campaign for a seat in parliament fails, the Nigerian born MP falls into a pit of depression. angry and confused, he blames his loss on his ethnicity, despite being beaten by another black candidate. His subsequent remarks to the press force him into hiding. Disgraced and, according to his friend, 'in need of a holiday', he returns to his native Nigeria hoping to escape politics. But here he meets his adopted brother, who is deeply involved in the corrupt politics of his homeland. Kayode's determination to change things emerges with fierce vehemence, as he becomes dangerously involved in a political power struggle. Bola agbaje's satirical new play questions our notion of home. It examines what it is to be both a British and African citizen, and what happens when corruption in the two nations seems impossible to overcome.

Notes:
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1st Produced:

Organisations:
co-production with Tiata Fahodzi

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Burial, The

Synopsis:
Funmi has it all: a career, doting husband and a comfortable life in London. . . until the day her Father dies and his two Nigerian wives arrive in a flurry of designer shoes and polished fingernails to clash over his burial arrangements. Born a Muslim, married a Christian and with new-found Buddhist beliefs, Funmi is forced to confront the past and her own faith to end the war over her father's body. explores how the conflicting traditions and religious tensions of one family reveal an unlikely respect for their Nigerian and British-Nigerian cultures.

Notes:
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1st Produced:

Organisations:
Stonecrabs Theatre Company

1st Published:
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Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

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Genre:
90 min satire

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Children's Monologues, The

Synopsis:
Dramatic Need (DN) is a UK-registered charity that sends international Arts professionals to do workshops in underprivileged and rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Gifted, heavyweight actors will perform monologues written by Lynn Nottage, Bola agbaje, Polly Stenham, Dennis Kelly, Gabriel Bisset-Smith, Oladipo agboluaje, Zawe ashton, Joel Horwood, anya Reiss and Jamie Minoprio, based on autobiographical stories written by the some of the children DN works with.

Notes:
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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
short monologue

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Chocolate

Synopsis:
Playwrights Inua Ellams, Neil LaBute, Bola Agbaje, Clare Bayley, Lydia Adetunji and Pedro Miguel Rozo have joined forces with a team of scientists to present the world premiere of Mouthful, a series of plays tackling the global food crisis, at the Trafalgar Studios in September. Forming the centrepiece of Metta Theatre's 10th anniversary celebrations, the project follows four very different individuals. Sebastian is travelling to Nigeria in search of his steak-loving missing friend, GoGo is sacrificing everything for a glass of water, Erica is trying to win her daughter's affections with the rare delicacy of the last potato and Rashida just wants to eat her chocolate bar in peace. Directed by Poppy Burton-Morgan, the politically provocative piece was produced in collaboration with six of the world's top scientists  Professors Tim Benton, Kamal Bawa, Suzanne Filteau, Ilkka Hanski, Molly Jahn and Tim Lang  and aims to explore the global food crisis in a theatrically imaginative production. Talking about the project, Professor Benton, UK Champion for Global Food Security, said: "Our food impacts on our health and well-being, the planet's well-being and our eating habits affect the livelihoods of others throughout the world. Mouthful innovatively explores our food system and the way our demand may affect our futures."

Notes:
in collaboration with Professor Ilkka Hanski

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Meta Theatre

1st Published:
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Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
short play

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Detaining Justice

Detaining Justice
agbaje's play follows a man's fight for asylum. For former Government Prosecutor Mr Cole, this will be his first case for the defence. Is he really the man to help?

Notes:
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1st Produced:

Organisations:
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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Gone Too Far!

Gone Too Far!
Nigeria, england, America, Jamaica; are you proud of where you're from? Dark skinned, light skinned, afro, weaves, who are your true brothers and sisters? When two brothers from different continents go down the street to buy a pint of milk they lift the lid on a disunited nation where everyone wants to be an individual but no one wants to stand out from the crowd. Bola agbaje's comic, astute play about identity, history and culture depicts a world where respect is always demanded but rarely freely given.

Notes:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  8            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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If Things Were Different

Synopsis:
takes a look at our prejudices - a chance to see the world from a different point of view.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Paines Plough

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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In Time

Synopsis:
Young lovers are forcibly seperated. Years later the children of their subsequent marriages meet and fall in love

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Almeida Theatre, London    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
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Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Off the Endz

Off the Endz
David, Kojo and Sharon grew up on a London estate. Now in their mid 20s, they're eyeing another kind of life. But how do you choose the right path when temptation lies around every corner? If your emotional or financial debt is sky high, how do you buy your way out?

Notes:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  3            Other:  4 boys

Further Reference:
-

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Peckham: Soap Opera

Synopsis:
the lives and loves of Peckham locals will be played out in an omnibus of ten 5 minute episodes. Each episode will be performed by actors from the local community. Somewhere between Peckham High Street and Rye Lane: after an immigration raid at Lashanna's underground hair salon, Ravi encourages her to relocate to the basement beneath Amir's corner shop (unbeknownst to Amir of course). Above ground Ed scouts for a job, though Amir puts him off the scent. Across the way Glenda, Job Centre co-worker Elaine and Joey make a discovery which may force them into a morning commute to Lewisham. While over at the station, Linda loses her cat, but falls for a dapper stranger whose pin-striped garms are new to the Rye.

Notes:
Part of Royal Court's Open Court season. Author Bola Agbaje (lead writer). Author Rachel De-lahay (lead writer) with Brad Birch, Alice Birch, Adam Brace, Robin French, Lucy Kirkwood, Chloe Moss, David Watson and Roy Williams

1st Produced:
Royal Court, London     02 Sep 2013

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
5 min play

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Playing the Game

Playing the Game
election time. the Students' association needs a new President, and akoUSA's achingly cool flatmates are certain she is perfect for the position. How can they persuade her, and how much is she willing to compromise?

Notes:
part of Women, Power & Politics: Now

1st Produced:

Organisations:
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1st Published:

Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Short play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Playlist: International Women's MonthPlaylist

Synopsis:
A special edition of Theatre503's regular sell-out event to mark International Women's Month. The best new and established female writers have each been invited to create a new play, inspired by songs written or performed by women. As always, the play must be no longer in running time than the song that inspired it, and the plays will be directed by the best emerging female directors around.

Notes:
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1st Produced:

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
short play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Take a Deep Breath and Breathe

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Oval House, London     2013

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
-

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Three Blind Mice

Synopsis:
Three Blind Mice by award-winning playwright Bola agbaje, will introduce three characters: Sean, whose best friend is turning into his worst enemy; newly released prisoner Dapo, who is struggling to stay on the right side of the law; and Erica who is convinced the mice are controlling her thoughts. Three flats, three tenants, all trying hard to make their house a home. You've heard the saying you can't chose your neighbours'? Well, what if, one day you wake up and you find out it's you who's turning into the neighbour from hell? Who do you turn to for help and who do you turn away?

Notes:
Cardboard Citizens is back with Another Hostel Tour! A professional theatre company that employs Actors with experience of homelessness, we have been touring our shows in London's hostels And day centres for the past twenty years. This year we will be performing in more than 40 hostels And day centres Around London, And we would love to bring our next show to your clients.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Cardboard Citizens

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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We Raise Girls!

Synopsis:
One Hand Tied Behind Us takes place just after International Women's Day and marks 100 years since the 1918 Representation of the People Act gave the first women in Britain the right to vote. Curated by Maxine Peake, this special one-off performance of monologues will explore key moments in the history of women's rights in the UK, and look forward to the future of the fight for equality.

Notes:
part of 'One Hand Tied Behind Us'

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
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Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Monologue

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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