Tricia Ajax’s Double Crossed, produced by Yemi Olanrewaju’s Lingfield Pictures at the 2024 Lagos Fringe Festival, was a humorous yet interesting take on players who seduce women and assume they’ll get away with it.
HELL hath no fury like a woman scorned, goes the popular saying. But what happens when it’s women and not just a woman that has been played, per Nigerian street lingo? It would be worse than hell for the individual concerned, you reckon.
This is Stan’s (Mayokun Hillary Babatunde) situation in the play ‘Double Crossed’ staged at the 2024 Lagos Fringe at Freedom Park, Lagos Island, on Sunday, November 24.
Written by Tricia Ajax and produced by Yemi Olanrewaju with Femi ‘Tiger’ Johnson directing, the play left the audience in stitches. It also reiterated that bad behaviour does not pay.
Ryan is a charming playboy with a high number of body counts. He lives off women and switches identities depending on whom he is with. The young man treats relationships as transactions and flips his personality to suit his partner’s desires. He says and does whatever it takes to win their trust. He is very successful as a freeloader until his luck runs out.
Ryan begins simultaneously dating three ladies, Lola, Efe and Zara, all accomplished professionals.
The trio are friends and hang out monthly to share details about their lives, including their careers and men. However, things would always be different after this latest monthly hangout. They all began sharing news about their new guy. As they divulged details, it became clear that they were talking about Ryan, the smooth operator.
To Lola (Moradeke Adeniran), he is Derrick. Efe (Susan Ajibade) knows him as Kenneth, and Zara (Rhoda Inaju) as Fred. The trio are shocked as they piece together the timeline and cross-reference their stories, confirming their worst fears. The friends feel betrayed and are heartbroken.
But there is worse news. Zara is pregnant with Ryan’s child. The lothario very carefully hid the fact that he is married from the three ladies. They are livid. They plot their revenge, turning the painful situation into an empowering journey of self-discovery and friendship.
An exciting play highlighting the vulnerabilities of single ladies who are prey for freeloaders, ‘Double Crossed’ had a good outing at Lagos Fringe. The acting was competent, with the only issue being the sound. They could have had better speakers.
Commenting after the production, producer Adeyemi, who mostly does TV and films, with some stage productions in church, said his debut at Lagos Fringe was a worthwhile experience.
“I have a friend who has been coming to Lagos Fringe for six years. He comes annually, and though he makes less money, he is always excited about coming. I asked him what excites you about coming here, and when I joined this year, I realised that the Fringe is a melting point for creatives: actors, producers, directors, financiers and event organisers.”
He added that he was elated and chose the play because of its relatability.”There are a lot of single ladies of advanced age and even the young ones who are seeking love. There are stories of men taking advantage of these ladies’ vulnerability, and you hear of a man playing three friends. A guy would be sleeping with his girlfriend and friends, so let’s see how this turns out. The play is such that the girls learn their lesson, and the guy gets his just dessert.”
Olanrewaju commended Lagos Fringe, which launched in 2018 as an open-access multidisciplinary arts festival to improve artists’ livelihoods and find new voices as succeeding in its objectives.
“We should embrace and encourage it. In the last week, we have had at least 50 performances- plays, poetry, and standup comedy in this little enclosure. The number of people that have come in and out in the last week would amaze you. There has also been a master class for would-be investors, people interested in the creatives, young creatives and women in art. We are grateful that they involved us, Lingfield Pictures, to be a part of this year. I will be a part of this as the years go by.
“Fringe also can bring in a new audience to the theatre. I invited some people who hadn’t gone to the theatre in forever to watch my play. They told me they would love to be here again next year. The cost of production was low because we shared it with Fringe organisers. So, it is a promising avenue for young creatives to hone their craft, experiment, and see if the audience would embrace their work before taking it to the commercial stage.”
Director Johnson disclosed that he had fun directing the play and showcasing how people live duplicitous lives.
“We live in a fake world where people are double-faced. I wanted to show that people can be funny; you give them your heart, and they break it. We should highlight how a man can sample different women, thinking they are smart.”
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