Joseph Edgar’s Bianca reimagines Nigerian history with a bold theatre revival, exploring love, politics, and legacy through the lens of Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu
In April 2025, one man brought the past back to life with elegance, wit, and artistic force.
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Joseph Edgar, popularly known as the Duke of Shomolu, in creative circles, returned to the national stage with ‘Bianca’, a stirring historical drama that captivated audiences and reignited interest in the tragic romance at the heart of modern Nigerian political history.
Premiering on April 27, 2025, and featuring back-to-back performances at Muson Centre’s Shell Hall on May 1, Bianca is the latest in Edgar’s growing catalogue of biographical stage productions that blend cultural memory with contemporary resonance.
As his 31st historical play, Bianca stands as both a tribute and a provocation: retelling the story of Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, wife of the late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, in a way that foregrounds her passion, sacrifice, and political complexity.
The production, mounted by Duke of Shomolu Productions, offered more than nostalgia. With a touring calendar that took the show from Lagos to Abuja, Uyo, Benin, Warri, Abeokuta, and even London, Bianca became one of the most far-reaching Nigerian theatre events of the year.
“We have worked with about 5,000 actors and 200,000 people that have seen our plays in various states of the country,” Edgar stated.
“Our plays have been seen in Lagos, Abuja, Uyo, Benin, Abeokuta, Warri and London.”
Bianca is not a biopic in the traditional sense. It is a psychological exploration of a woman entangled in the intersections of private longing and public power.
Bianca is inspired by Honourable Bianca Chukwuemeka‑Odumegwu‑Ojukwu. The crux of this play from the story of Bianca is conviction.
Told with lyrical dialogue and rich period detailing, the play navigates Bianca’s evolution from beauty queen to diplomat, from devoted wife to widowed political figure, inviting audiences to consider how personal history can become a nation’s memory.
Reflecting on the creative process, Edgar said: “Bianca is inspired by Honourable Bianca Chukwuemeka‑Odumegwu‑Ojukwu. The crux of this play from the story of Bianca is conviction. Therefore, every character in this story showed a huge amount of conviction.”
Audience reception was strong, with sold-out performances and an enthusiastic social media following.
Industry observers have hailed Bianca as Edgar’s most nuanced work to date, both in its restrained direction and emotional breadth.
The character-driven approach and deliberate dramaturgy allowed the play to breathe, drawing emotional responses from a wide demographic of viewers.
With Bianca, Joseph Edgar continues to redefine the possibilities of historical theatre in Nigeria.
In an era where cultural amnesia often undermines political engagement, his work insists that to look back is not to escape the present but to illuminate it.
From his 2021 hit Emotan to 2023’s Aremu, Edgar’s plays have steadily built a theatrical canon rooted in national figures.
Yet Bianca stands out for its gendered perspective and its refusal to romanticise the past.
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Instead, it offers what all great theatres should: a mirror held up to society, and a question posed to its conscience.
