The Bite Magazine - Autmn/Winter 2020 - Issue 28

bitetheatre Lastly, we’re introduced by song and burlesque dance to the sassy and sexy ‘lady of the night’ Samantha (played by Chidinma Nebo), who then tells of the hidden challenges of her career of choice, ex- plaining that she has to ascertain ‘rules’ that her patrons must follow and obey. She introduces us to a man that, “comes frequently. He pays well. And he does not break any of my rules”, and we get our first glimpse of a particular character we see more of in the play. One of the scenes that has them all sing the song I Remember grabs your soul as, at this point of the play, more and more of each wom- an’s story is revealed and the central twist is starting to reveal. With songs sung and dances moved as either solos, duets, choir or en- sembles, these performers truly have the knack of encapturing your senses by their performance, and their stories told will leave you with so much food-for-thought regarding the global issues touched on within the play. Alas, real, true stories that have been experi- enced and told too many times in history. But as stated at the end of the play: each woman is “like a rose, there are thorns hidden in [our] beauty”. I won’t give too much away as there is a chance early next year to watch this wonderfully produced play for yourself. Seeing Through The Arts Productions, a Nigerian art production company, established in 2009, is based in Lagos, Nigeria. They are a performing arts organisation that aims to create awareness, educate, influence and engage the public through various artistic expres- sions. They use the platform of arts to influence society by perform- ing highly creative and life-changing productions. Their aim is to better mould mindsets on various global social issues. Past produc- tions on an international platform have included Legends the Mu- sical tour; Kaleidoscope Atlanta, Georgia; Zion and African Dance Festival tour, Australia; Batonga ; Spirit of David 93rd & 95th show 2017; Batonga with Ford Foundation (USA); and Saro the Musical, to name a select few. Flower the Musical is the second time I’ve been privileged to watch one of their shows and, as usual, they never disappoint. It’s a play to easily re-watch and become a favourite, just like your favourite Christmas movie you re-watch each year, as it didn’t evoke bore- dom, even for a non-musical lover like me! In addition to this, how the issues and sensual manner the current and important stories have been played out within the musical, there are now exciting proposals by Seeing Through The Arts for it to be made into a feature film and to represent a Women’s Month event, as it is regarded a celebration of “the incredible ability of the woman’s spirit to overcome adversity, to find humour in the mun- dane, to rise above the dirt; to grow, to bloom, to flourish, to flower.” And since going to print, Flower the Musical has been performed again at the Freedom Park, Lagos and is due to be re-streamed on 9th January 2021. With access details below; I would definitely rec- ommend a watch. I’m definitely going to re-watch this, especially as tickets are cheaper than a cup of coffee! The link to booking your online ticket is https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/flower-the-musical-tick- ets-130803804701 www.seeingthroughthearts.com