Love’s unlike lading: Femi Osofisan’s satirical piece, captures playwright’s emotions at 80 years

The history, development and feats achieved over the years in the Nigerian theatre circle, even in Africa, cannot be well-captured without a mention of Femi Osofisan, a renowned Nigerian playwright, and a thorough bred scholar, who is credited for decolonizing African literature through his works.

With many plays to his credit, directorial, stage performances, and academic feats, Osofisan, a professor, who is known as ‘Okinba Launko’ by his folks, has impacted theatre world, academics and life in general, in very positive ways.

That was why many of his students turned fans and mentees, colleagues and industry stakeholders rolled out big and colourful drums to celebrate his 80th birthday with many exciting activities, especially stage performances.

But among the performances in honour of the professor and playwright, who was born on June 16, 1946 at Erunwon, was Love’s Unlike Lading, a satirical play by Osofisan, one of Africa’s venerable culture personality, playwright, poet, novelist, and essayist.

The play is a localized adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (blended with elements of A Midsummer Night’s Dream) that critiques contemporary Nigerian socio-political issues, corruption, and the justice system

First published in 2012, Love’s Unlike Lading is a taste of the feast of theatrical productions that featured in the scheduled 8-day celebration of the multi-skilled culture icon across Nigeria this June.

The satire, Love’s Unlike Lading, staged at the Wole Soyinka Arts Theatre of the University of Ibadan on June 8, 2026, to mark the beginning of the celebrations for the 80th birthday anniversary. It featured students and staff of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan.

But the satire is worth seeing as its performance lived up to the audience expectations, even Osofisan, himself.

Directed by Yinka Smart Babalola, Segun Michael Olabode, and Atilola Omotehinse, Love’s Unlike Lading featured an ensemble of 102 cast members, supported by the entire student body of the department as crew. The large scale gave the performance a communal energy that reflected the collective spirit of Nigerian theatre.

According to the directors, Osofisan’s work is firmly rooted in social critique. His adaptation does not simply retell Shakespeare’s narrative but refracts it through the realities of contemporary Nigeria. The play confronts urgent issues such as kidnapping and insecurity, which Osofisan once warned would become “another weapon in the hands of common thugs … interested … in their own pockets.” That warning has sadly come true, with kidnapping now a multi-billion-naira enterprise.

The directors described the staging as “like watching present-day Nigeria in 3D,” a performance that mirrors the unsafe streets and societal fractures of the nation. More than a comedy, it is a wake-up call, an attempt to “hold us by the scruff of our necks and shake us awake to our reality.”

The production embraced intertextuality and intermediality, borrowing from Shakespeare while embedding Nigerian realities. The directors noted that “virtually every action in the play has a replica in the reality of our society,” making the performance both familiar and unsettling.

Again, the staging was not only a theatrical event but also a heartfelt tribute to Osofisan’s creative genius. With its vast ensemble, bold direction, and urgent themes, Love’s Unlike Lading succeeds as both homage and critique, reminding us that while comedy may entertain, insecurity cannot be laughed away.

Born at Erunwon on June16, 1946, Femi Osofisan (aka Okinba Launko) had his secondary education at the Government College, Ibadan and then proceeded to the University of Ibadan where, after a year abroad in Dakar, Senegal, he obtained an Honours degree in French in 1966. Eight years later, after aborting his postgraduate studies in Paris, he returned to Ibadan to obtain his PhD in 1974, and then joined the faculty as Assistant Lecturer. He rose to the post of Professor in 1985, and was made Emeritus Professor in 2014 on retirement. Osofisan has published over 40 plays, five novellas, six volumes of poetry, as well as the acclaimed biography of J.P. Clark, entitled, J.P. Clark: A Voyage. A former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors [ANA], of PEN-Nigeria and the Pan African Writers Association [PAWA], Osofisan has been the recipient of several Fellowships and Awards, including the French National Order of Merit Award (1991); the University of Ibadan Faculty of Arts Distinguished Alumnus Award (2001); the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award for the Humanities (2004); and the prestigious Fonlon-Nichols Award (2005). In 2006, he became a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. He is married to the first female Professor of Computer Science in Africa, Professor Adenike Osofisan. They are blessed with children and grandchildren.

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