Cast and creative team announced for the world premiere of Inua Ellams’ Once Upon a Time in Sokoto

Casting has been announced for the world premiere of Once Upon a Time in Sokoto, an epic, gripping family drama, from internationally celebrated poet and playwright Inua Ellams (Barber Shop Chronicles, Three Sisters), opening at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate this autumn and touring the UK through to February 2027 in a co-production led by Fuel and the Touring Together partnership. 

Directed by Roy Alexander Weise (Nine Night, ROBOTA), the production stars Adeola Yemitan (Elektra, Much Ado About Nothing) playing Nafisa, Antonia Layiwola (Is Dat U Yh?, Silkworm) playing Zinari, Bayo Gbadamosi (The Great, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) playing Hadiru and Will Atiomo (Blitz, The Sandman) playing Yusef.

Touring Together is a brand new nationwide touring initiative committed to taking new theatre of the finest quality across the country, led by China Plate and Fuel in collaboration with Royal & Derngate, Brighton Dome, Leeds Playhouse, Oxford Playhouse, Northampton and Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry. 

Once Upon a Time in Sokoto opens at Royal & Derngate from 28 September to 10 October and will then then tour to partner venues Oxford Playhouse (13-17 October 2026), Warwick Arts Centre (5-7 November 2026), Leeds Playhouse (11-14 November 2026) and Brighton Dome (17 - 21 November 2026). In addition to the partner venues Nottingham Playhouse (29-31 October 2026) and Bristol Old Vic (2-13 February 2027) will also receive the production as part of its UK tour.

Commissioned by Fuel for the inaugural Touring Together production, the Alfred Fagon Award-winning Once Upon a Time in Sokoto tells the epic story of a beautiful but unlikely friendship. Differences in faith, culture and heritage are overcome in the face of new enemies, in a gripping family drama set against the backdrop of events leading to the creation of Nigeria.

“There are powers that bind the world together, softer than spirits yet stronger than stone, that tie the river to the tree, the tree to rain clouds, rain clouds to the land, and people to each other.”

Inua Ellams, Writer, said: “At its core, Once Upon a Time in Sokoto is the story of an extremely unlikely friendship between an enslaved woman and her former mistress; a relationship forged as personal and political worlds tragically collide. It explores power, faith, heritage and culture. It’s a period drama set in the mid-late 1800s pre-colonial Nigeria, and I’ve always been fascinated by how the legacy of this time still influences and resonates with global perceptions and politics today. I'm delighted to be reuniting with Fuel following Barber Shop Chronicles and Three Sisters, to be working with Roy, and a brilliant cast to take this story across the country in the very first production with Touring Together.”

Roy Alexander Weise, Director, said: “I'm thrilled to be working with Fuel again and to be staging and supporting the development of Inua’s extraordinary new award-winning play; I have wanted to work with him for a long time and long admired his work; the distinct humour, the epic-ness of his stories, his astute microscopic lens on nuggets of human experience. Set in the 1800s, it's an unexpected period drama, unveiling the hidden history of a complex pre-colonial African Islamic civilisation (the Sokoto Caliphate - located in the northern region of modern day Nigeria) which I didn’t know about before reading a draft of the play. It’s big and theatrical, witty and funny, brutal, bold, beautiful and plays with time in a stunning way. I’m always curious about how history and time work in stories, and how time works on us as humans. At the heart are the stories of two very different fictional women but these characters feel familiar. I’m excited to work with this brilliant team of artists and minds to tell their stories and land this world for an audience today. I’m delighted to be working with Touring Together and can't wait to bring this to audiences across the UK.”

The Creative Team includes Writer Inua Ellams, Director Roy Alexander Weise, Set Designer Amelia Jane Hankin, Composer Femi Temowo, Movement Director Coral Messam, Costume Designer Jessica Cabassa, Casting Director Heather Basten, Associate Director Brigitte Adela and Production Manager Helen Mugridge.

Touring Together represents a strategic partnership for producing and touring new midscale theatre that will bring bold new plays to audiences, creating a robust network of touring venues who will collectively make, present and partner on the work. Working with exceptional artists to share new work and embrace diverse stories that shine fresh light on the world we live in, Touring Together will present a new show that will tour to all of the partner venues and beyond in October 2026 and again in the same timeframe in 2027. The first show, Once Upon a Time in Sokoto is produced by Fuel and will be followed by a China Plate production in autumn 2027. The initiative is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. 

Once Upon a Time in Sokoto takes to the Royal stage from Monday 28 September to Saturday 10 October, as part of Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton season. Tickets – priced from £15* – can be booked online at www.royalandderngate.co.uk/once-upon-a-time-in-sokoto or by calling Box Office on 01604 624811.

Once Upon a Time in Sokoto is supported by the Garrick Charitable Trust.

Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton season is sponsored by Michael Jones Jeweller.

* A non-refundable £4 per-transaction fee applies for bookings of £20 and over. Does not apply to Groups and Members. Prices may change subject to availability.