Femi Elufowoju Jr. facts for kids

Femi Elufowoju Jr. (born 31 October 1962) is a talented British and Nigerian artist. He works as an actor and director in theatre, film, and radio. He grew up in Nigeria and has made a big impact in the creative world.

Femi Elufowoju Jr. was the second person of African background to start a national touring theatre company in the UK. This company was called Tiata Fahodzi, and he started it in 1997. His work has been shown in many important theatres across the UK. He has also worked with many famous people in film, TV, and radio.

In 2023, Femi Elufowoju Jr. received a special award called the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This award was given to him for his great contributions to drama.

Early Life and Education

Femi Elufowoju Jr. was born on 31 October 1962 in Hammersmith, London. His parents were from Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He went to primary school in London before moving to Nigeria in 1975.

In Nigeria, he continued his schooling. He attended Sacred Heart Primary School and Christ's School, Ado Ekiti. After finishing high school, he studied Law at the University of Ife.

Later, he returned to the UK. In 1990, he earned a degree in Dramatic Arts from Bretton Hall College, which is part of the University of Leeds. He also took a break from his career between 2010 and 2012 to get a postgraduate degree in Education from London South Bank University.

Theatre Work

Femi Elufowoju Jr. is well-known for his amazing work in theatre. In 1995, he directed his first play, Acquisitive Case. This led to him getting a special scholarship to train as a theatre director. He trained under Philip Hedley at the Theatre Royal Stratford East.

The next year, he toured Sweden with his play Tickets and Ties: The African Tale. It was called "the biggest and most ambitious West African show." After this success, he started his own theatre company, Tiata Fahodzi, in 1997. The company's main goal was to show African stories on British stages.

He led Tiata Fahodzi for 13 years. During this time, he directed and presented over thirty plays. Some of his famous productions include The Gods Are Not to Blame and Iya-Ile: The First Wife. The latter was even nominated for an Olivier Award, which is a very important theatre award. He also directed plays at other major theatres like the Almeida Theatre and Royal Court Theatre.

In 2019, he directed a new version of The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. People called it a "radical new reimagining." He also directed The Little Prince for Fuel Theatre in 2020.

Radio Productions

Since 2010, Femi Elufowoju Jr. has directed many dramas for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4. He has worked on various interesting stories.

One notable project was Stages of Independence for BBC World Service. This was a special series that celebrated 50 years of African drama. It highlighted important plays from 50 years of Africa's independence. In 2022, he directed a radio version of Diran Adebayo's novel, Some Kind of Black.

Film and Opera

Femi Elufowoju Jr. has also worked in film and opera. In 2021, he made his debut as a film director. He directed a staged performance of Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale for Manchester's Halle Orchestra.

In January 2022, he directed his first opera, Rigoletto, for Opera North in Leeds. This production was a huge success. It received five-star reviews and won Best Opera at the 2023 South Bank Sky Arts Awards. Critics praised his direction as "bold and innovative."

His second opera was Der Anonyme Liebhaber (The Anonymous Lover). This opera was based on the life and music of an 18th-century composer. It premiered in Switzerland in September 2022.

The Elufowoju Jr Ensemble

In 2015, Femi Elufowoju Jr. and Thomas Kell started The Elufowoju Jr Ensemble. Their aim is to create amazing African theatre for audiences around the world.

In 2018, he directed a play called The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives. This play was very popular and broke box office records at the Arcola Theatre. He won the Best Director Award for this production in 2019. The BBC later asked him to adapt it for Radio 3.

54.60 Africa Project

In 2015, Femi Elufowoju Jr. started an exciting project called 54.60 Africa. His goal was to visit all fifty-four countries on the continent of Africa. He finished this incredible journey in October 2022.

Through this project, he plans to publish a book and a play. These will share his experiences and adventures across Africa. He has also held theatre workshops to explore ideas for a future theatre production based on his travels.

Performance Roles

Besides directing, Femi Elufowoju Jr. is also an actor. He has appeared in several TV shows. These include the comedy series Little Miss Jocelyn, Moses Jones, Borgen, and Sex Education.

He has also acted in films such as Mechanic: Resurrection and The Princess Switch 3. On stage, he has performed with many theatre companies. He even toured the world with the show Lionboy, which included performances on Broadway.

Awards and Recognitions

Femi Elufowoju Jr. has received many awards for his work:

• 2000: Won the Afro Hollywood Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to African film, arts, and culture.
• 2009: Nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Iya-Ile: The First Wife.
• 2019: Won the Off West End (Offie) Award for Best Director for The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives.
• 2022: Won the South Bank Sky Arts Awards for Best Opera Production for Rigoletto.