The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives at Arcola Theatre Review
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives. Photo by Charlie Flint
Written by Bronagh for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Content warnings – scenes of an adult nature, scenes of a sexual nature, sexual assault.
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives transports us to Nigeria, where we meet Baba Segi and his three wives. Babe Segi sets his sights on a fourth wife, university graduate Bolanle, played beautifully by Dolapo Oni, who sends ripples through the dynamic and uncovers a major secret.
Meet Baba Segi (Patrice Naimbana), a wealthy Nigerian man with three wives and three children. He meets Bolanle, a beautiful and well-educated young woman, and they soon marry. Bolanle disrupts the existing clique of wives, who are happy with how things are. Bolanle is unable to conceive, which triggers a series of events that go on to uncover family secrets, completely rocking the boat and sending shockwaves through the family.
Baba Segi’s Wives is a beautifully acted ensemble piece, with the actors playing dual roles and all partaking in the dancing and playing instruments. Movement is a huge part of the show, with energetic traditional dancing delighting the audience. The set is stripped back, allowing our ensemble to move about with no obstructions, transporting us to a variety of locations, from the family home to a hospital, to flashbacks of a rainy, dark evening. Simisola Majekodunmi’s lighting is beautifully designed to transport us to Nigeria, the stage drenched in glowy warmness. Baba Segi’s Wives stays true to Nigerian traditions with the use of drums and bells and proverbs throughout, with the wives dressed in stunning Nigerian fabrics.
Baba Segi’s Wives explores many complex themes, including gender roles, abuse and control and sexual politics. We see the shock at a news bulletin regarding abortion, with the three wives saying Bolanle cannot possibly be shocked and upset by this, considering she hasn’t carried her own child. Little do they know, Bolanle can very much relate as we find out from a flashback to a distressing evening, where her rapist tells her she should be happy as she ‘is a woman now’. This is one of the rare moments where the audience is silent, hearts in mouths as we see Bolanle sobbing. Dolapo Oni’s portrayal of Bolanle is beautifully vulnerable, and one to remember.
Despite the heavy themes, there are many laugh out loud moments throughout. One scene that I have no doubt audience members are still talking about, is a rather epic masturbation scene which includes Vaseline, dancing and dry ice. I’ll leave it at that. The sex scenes that we see in the second act have the audience hooting with laughter, the contrast in atmosphere remarkable. Baba Segi’s Wives is undoubtedly a very joyful production, despite exploring oppression and those darker moments in life.
The entire cast are extremely talented, seamlessly going between characters and keeping up the pace throughout. The three wives, Iya Segi, Iya Femi and Iya Tope (Kemi Adekoya, Mofe Akande and Christina Oshunniyi, respectively), are a joy to watch from the scheming against Bolanle to them confessing to their secret encounters. The whole ensemble work brilliantly together, making Baba Segi’s Wives an absolute hit amongst the audience.
Baba Segi’s Wives is a remarkable production, intertwining the darker themes with sheer joy and entertainment, never dipping in energy. This is a rollercoaster of a production, which you do not want to miss!
At the Arcola Theatre until 31st May 2025.
★★★★
