Babatunde Ojobaro is an entertainer of many parts. He is a thespian, a professional MC, an actor and a footballer in his spare time. ROTIMI IGE caught up with him recently to discuss his passion and plans for theatre productions, life as an actor and MC, among other issues.
Who is Mister Rain outside comedy/emceeing?
I am quite a couple of things to different people at different times, but first, Mister Rain is Babatunde Ojobaro (my real name). I am the eldest of three children, a husband to one and father of one (smiles). I am an On-Air-Personality with several nominations and awards to show for it, while growing through the ranks of becoming head of entertainment unit to becoming Director of Programmes. I am a digital marketing strategist and have trained well over 100 startups and business owners across the country. I am also a content director and with a track record of success with all the big shows/concerts in Ibadan under my creative direction. Let’s just say I’m a coat of many colours.
How did comedy and being a compere start for you and did you see it as a career path when you started or a hobby?
Well, comedy/emceeing started out as a hobby. I remember the first event I did was a birthday in 2004 as a student of the Olabisi Onabanjo University. I got that gig because the MC for the birthday didn’t come and somebody there just said Tunde should be able to do it, because I was naturally funny. That’s how I became the permanent MC for the birthdays of everybody around me, and as it went on and on, I knew it was something that would put food on the table for me.
How do you create your content/materials?
I create my contents/materials based on the uniqueness and needs of my clients or audience. There are no two people who are exactly the same so my deliverables for different clients/audience shouldn’t be the same. I ask several questions when I get a job either as a content director or as an MC. The details I get informs what content I create, that’s why none of my deliverables are ever the same.
Apart from comedy, you’re also a thespian. How did that start for you?
Oh yes, I am thespian. Back in Olabisi Onabanjo University, I studied Marketing, but I had joined my fellowship’s drama unit and I became the director. It was then I decided I wanted to study Theatre Arts and practice. So after Marketing, I wrote Unified tertiary Examination again and got admitted to University of Ibadan to study Theatre Arts. After school, I worked in different capacities with a couple of theatre production companies, from being an actor to stage manager to production manager. Now I have my own theatre production company, Theatre Hub Africa, which started in 2016 with more than 10 productions to its credit and performances in cities like Ibadan, Lagos and a campus tour.
You’ve played different roles in sitcom or movies but you also do stage plays. Is it the same?
Stage and screen are not exactly the same. They have different technicalities but they are both great. I have been honoured to play different roles on TV as an actor. I played the role of a detective in one of MNet’s series titled ‘Unbroken’; featured in a movie titled ‘Tenitika’, also featured in several short films. Presently, I am present on the set of the first Yoruba telenovela, ‘Borokini’, but the one which I am mostly known for is ‘Awon Aladun De’ which is perhaps the most watched family sitcom on TV right now, where I am playing the role of Kayode a.k.a Broda Kata, an absurd aspiring politician and incoming president of the country.
Which do you prefer, screen or stage plays?
I can’t readily choose one over the other, but a lot of people who know me will say that I am very crazy about stage. However, for me, the dynamics are quite different. While I have invested quite a lot in stage productions because I believe a lot in it, I have earned money and networking opportunities from screen. So, both are unique for me. I invest resources in stage to create earning opportunities for others, I earn from screen and it has provided me opportunities of getting famous, networking and more MC jobs.
How long have you been involved in plays and what is your opinion about stage plays in Nigeria?
If we include university days, I have been involved in plays since 2003/04 but professionally, since 2013. Stage plays, or theatre production as I prefer to call it, has not been really accepted as a major genre on entertainment yet. It is still seen as alternative entertainment. However, a lot of things have changed; there are now more productions, producers and directors. The audience also is fast becoming a force that cannot be ignored. I predicted this in 2013 and that’s why I started Theatre Hub Africa. I wanted to contribute to the revival of the theatre culture in Nigeria and started in Ibadan which is the home of major theatre productions in Nigeria.
What are the challenges you face as a creative?
It’s quite a huge challenge as a creative, especially having to balance between being an On-Air-Personality, a screen actor, a theatre director and producer, a digital marketing strategist, a content director and a family man. I can’t even lie about this; it can be tasking, especially with funds, acceptance, support and so on, but I have always believed that there’s always a price to pay for greatness. No single great person made it easy; they all survived through challenges and I am on that path of greatness. I shouldn’t expect it to come cheap or easy. I have scaled a couple of hurdles and I know there are a lot more to scale, but my mind, soul and body are prepared for it. I will be a very strong force to reckon with soon. I already have been known for my uniqueness and I am fully accepted in Ibadan which is my base. The mantra is ‘From Ib to the world’.
Anything new from your stable?
Oh yes, there is always something new (laughs). Before Covid-19, Theatre Hub Africa was preparing for a musical theatre production titled ‘OLURONBI the musical’, a creative piece of artistry that will blow the minds of our audience in a way that they won’t forget in a hurry. But now that we have to stay at home as we all battle the novel coronavirus (and we will win), I have started an online visual radio on Instagram @mrrain2202. It is called ‘Stay home radio with Mister Rain’. The idea around it is basically to celebrate Ibadan which is where I live, the great personalities in Ibadan and ultimately to inspire more success stories from this beautiful city. I also intend to disabuse the mindset that nothing really happens in Ibadan or that one cannot make it from Ibadan. That’s the new thing going on right now.
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