The Actor’s Church Theatre, Covent Garden – London

There are moments in theatre where you forget you’re merely watching a performance, when the space between audience and stage dissolves. Queen Idia was one of those rare, golden moments. From the very first beat of the drum, we were held in rapture.

“Oba don see weytin he like.”


“My child cry first… I’m your mother, I will bare it!”

These weren’t just lines. They were declarations of power, of sacrifice, of a woman’s strength in the face of history’s weight.

Eyes were fixated. Chin resting on fist. Hearts leaning into every word, every rhythm, every raw emotion. Even the drummer seemed to transcend the physical, immersed fully in the world of the Benin Kingdom. It felt like witnessing a classical Disney musical accompanied by a live orchestra only this was African. This was true. This was intimate.

It stirred something deeply ancestral. This wasn’t just a play it was pedagogy. A compelling reminder of who we are, wrapped in melody, dialogue and drums. No wonder the audience spoke of using Queen Idia to educate children and future generations. With its accessible storytelling and diasporic depth, it’s not just watchable, it’s teachable.

The vocal range alone gave us goosebumps. Haunting harmonies. Soulful refrains. There was one moment that silenced the room:


“Dig. No matter what you dig, you can’t dig a hole deep enough to bury my name.”
Delivered by Queen Idia herself knowing that she must die so her son can reign. Bloody hell. That wasn’t just theatre. That was power.

Then came the Q&A, where it was announced that this original cast who are also the producers and writers of the musical will not perform the show again, as it evolves from a work-in-progress to a full theatre production launching in Nigeria.

While there was immense pride in their vision expanding boldly from Lagos’ National Theatre to London’s West End, to New York’s Broadway there was also a slight disappointment. A bittersweet farewell to witnessing these creative geniuses on stage together.

The team behind Queen Idia reads like a roll call of modern-day superheroes, professionals by day; law, leadership, governance. By night, musical masterminds who awaken a nation’s soul through music and story. What a gift.

  • Lydia Idakula – Producer, Writer, and Arts Manager
  • Donna Obaseki-Ogunnaike – Lawyer, Poet, Writer, and Actress
  • Omolara – Singer and Songwriter
  • Ndukwe Onuoha – Politician, Copywriter, and Poet

The show brings to mind a visit to the Kingdom of Ife exhibition at the British Museum. Some strolled slowly, reading every plaque, wide-eyed at the regal bronze faces of ancestors who had long been erased from the mainstream narrative. Suddenly, the sculptures on currency, in books and artefacts, became real. Human. Personal. Queen Idia’s image has sat quietly in plain sight for generations


Some thought she was a man.
Some, a god.
Some, just an African mask.

But Queen Idia the musical dares us to look again. To ask questions. To feel. To know.

For the diasporan heart yearning to connect, the artist, the lover of history this is for you.

Follow the cast on Instagram @queenidiathemusical.