Femi Elufowoju Jr.

Femi Elufowoju Jr.
Born (1962-10-31) October 31, 1962
Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom
Nationality British, Nigerian
Education Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Leeds, London South Bank University
Occupation Actor, director

Femi Elufowoju Jr. (born 31 October 1962) is a British Nigerian actor, performer, and director. After Alton Kumalo's Temba Theatre Company, he is the second theatre director of African descent to establish a national touring company in the UK.[1][2] His stage work has been featured at the Royal Court Theatre, the Royal National Theatre, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Manchester's Royal Exchange, the Theatre Royal, Stratford East and the Soho Theatre, and he has worked under such notable theatre directors as Sir Richard Eyre, Nicholas Hytner, Yvonne Brewster, John Retallack, Annabel Arden, Jude Kelly and Annie Castledine.

Biography

Femi Elufowoju was born on 31 October 1962 in Hammersmith, London, to Nigerian parents from Ile-Ife. He attended Copenhagen Primary & Junior School, Islington, from 1967 to 1974, before moving to Nigeria where he stayed until 1985. He attended Sacred Heart Primary School, Ring Road, Ibadan, in 1975 and the Oyo State College of Arts and Science in 1980.[3]

Elufowoju read Law at University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) but was advised to withdraw in 1985 just before returning to the UK. Then he attended North London College and got a Certificate in Community Theatre. He later got a bachelor's degree in Dramatic Arts from Leeds University and Bretton Hall, the affiliated drama training institute.

Professional life

In 1996 Elufowoju won a Regional Theatre Young Director Award from Channel 4 and the Cameron Mackintosh Foundation to train as a theatre director under Philip Hedley at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East. The following year he became the first theatre director of African descent to establish a national touring company in the UK, Tiata Fahodzi. He artistically led the company for 13 years, directing and presenting over 30 plays including his production of Oladipo Agboluaje’s Iya-Ile: The First Wife (nominated for the Olivier Award).[4][1] He has since served as an Associate at the Almeida Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse and New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich.

In 2003, he was appointed Segment Director facilitating the Commonwealth Parade along The Mall leading towards Buckingham Palace on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He was inducted into the Royal Society of Arts soon afterwards.

In 2010, he commenced a freelance career with the BBC, producing and directing several radio dramas while simultaneously pursuing a postgraduate degree in Education at London South Bank University.

In 2011 he was invited back to Soho Theatre to direct Angie Le Mar’s In My Shoes and in 2015 Jumoke Fashola’s Dirty Little Secrets.

Between and beyond Elufowoju has spent periods returning to his ancestral home Nigeria building alliances with notable creative cultural leaders such as ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi, working alongside the Ministry of Arts, Culture & Tourism in propelling Ekiti State to a position of National Cultural Excellence (Ado-Ekiti, 2012), Lola Shoneyin on The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives (Aké Festival, Abeokuta, 2013), Efe Paul Azino on Finding Home (Terra Kulture, Lagos 2014), Bolanle Austen Peters on Wakaa the Musical (London Edition at Shaw Theatre 2016) and Artistic Director of the National Troupe of Nigeria, Mr. Akin Adejuwon (National Theatre, Lagos).

The Elufowoju jr Ensemble

In 2015 Thomas Kell and Femi Elufowoju Jr. set up The Elufowoju jr Ensemble with a view to creating exceptional world-class African theatre with imaginative flair for the international stage. In the same year, Elufowoju Jr. embarked on a mission of a lifetime: to visit all 54 countries in Africa before his 60th birthday. The project, aptly titled 5460, culminates in 2022 with a one-man show in which the odyssey of his travels through the continent will be experienced on stage in 60 minutes.

In 2016, he directed Bonnie Greer's The Hotel Cerise,[5] as well as the British premiere of Blues for an Alabama Sky by American playwright Pearl Cleage.[6]

Elufowoju's stage work has been featured at the Royal Court Theatre, the Royal National Theatre, the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Manchester's Royal Exchange, the Theatre Royal, Stratford East and the Soho Theatre, and he has worked under such notable theatre directors as Sir Richard Eyre, Nicholas Hytner, Yvonne Brewster, John Retallack, Annabel Arden, Jude Kelly, Annie Castledine, as well as under Philip Hedley at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East.

Work in television

Elufowoju has made notable television appearances, including on the BBC comedy series Little Miss Jocelyn, serial dramas Moses Jones, Wire in the Blood and Borgen. His film credits include The Legend of 1900 (1998) for Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore, Hollywood franchise Mechanic: Resurrection (2016) and recently acting as Nigerian president in "The Saint" (2017)

References

  1. 1 2 Desk, BWW News. "Photo Flash: THE HOTEL CERISE Rehearses". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  2. ↑ "Femi Elufowoju Jr. on His Illustrious Career, His Latest Work and the British Theatre". thenewblackmagazine.com. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  3. ↑ "Femi Elufowoju, Jr: Answer The Questions!". The Independent. 2003-11-16. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  4. ↑ Veronica Lee (2012-06-27). "Femi Elufowoju Jr: Our man in Borgen". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  5. ↑ Fiona Mountford (2016-10-26). "The Hotel Cerise: Cherry Orchard takes a trip to election USA". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  6. ↑ Billington, Michael (2017-02-12). "Blues for an Alabama Sky review – riveting picture of 1930s Harlem". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-03-27.
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