By Agatha Emeadi
With final touches at the peak of presenting ‘Bianca,’ a love story that shook the nation and a beauty that defied tradition, Joseph Edgar popularly known as Duke of Shomolu, an investment banker and a theatre producer, is at it again.
Edgar, who rose to heights through hard work, has huge volumes of theatre productions while also running his investment banking house “Barnaby and Edgar.
With over 30 plays in his name, Edgar says, “through theatre, I have access to powerful Nigerian families and have the ears to those in the corridors of power because we do their plays.
In this interview with Sunday Sun, Edgar said he is using theatre to send a strong message on national cohesion.
What attracted you into theatre/plays?
When I was in the University of Ibadan studying Political Science, I was dating one actress who would always tell me, ‘if you want to see me, come to the theatre.’ So, I went to the theatre and watched my babe on stage. That was my first introduction to structured theatre and I loved what I saw. We dated for two to three years in the university and I will always be at the theatre waiting for her. So, because of my girlfriend, I had access and could go to the back stage to see what happens there. But she cheated on me and broke my heart. I swore never to have anything to do with the theatre again. Whenever I see anything theatre, my heart would skip. But after six to seven years later while I was working in the bank and lost my job; I asked what would I do; I started writing columns for a newspaper, later, I complied all the columns into a book and put it on stage. That was how my interest grew and I started what you are seeing today. I have always had love for the theatre, but it was not embedded.
Talk about your forthcoming play, ‘Bianca,’ the cast, crew, funding, target audience and lessons to learn from it?
The story of ‘Bianca’ is a love that shook the nation and a beauty that defied tradition. ‘Bianca’ is the 31st in the series of the historical plays we are doing in the ‘Duke of Shomolu Foundation.’ Duke of Shomolu foundation is one of the fastest growing production companies in the country. We have done 30 series and spent over N2 billion, expurgatory funds. We have worked with about 5,000 actors and 200,000 people that have seen our plays in various states of the country. Our plays have been seen in Lagos, Abuja, Uyo, Benin, Abeokuta, Warri and London etc. Bianca is inspired by Honourable Bianca Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu who is the present Honourable Minister of States for Foreign Affairs in Nigeria. We are all familiar with her story when she became a young beauty queen, love found her and she fell in love with the late ex-warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. She shunned all opposition from her parents and stood by her lover, married and gave birth to three children. Even at the passing of the warlord, she is still there and did not remarry. The crux of this play from the story of Bianca is conviction. Therefore, every character in this story showed a huge amount of conviction.
From Bianca standing with the man she loves, to the father who until his death never accepted that marriage. Bianca’s father never accepted the several attempts of wine carrying until after the birth of the last child. When he finally agreed, he requested for 100 colonial coins which took the couple almost one year to gather. So, it is a story of conviction that we are trying to tell Nigerians. If conviction can come back to national discourse, we will have less problems in this country.
How will the funding come?
The funding of ‘Bianca’ is coming from our usual sources. We have strong corporate sponsors. Many banks have been wonderful to us and that is why we can have many major productions as we can have.
Why do you spend billions in producing theatre plays?
We do so because these are very huge productions, large cast, huge massive costumes, beautiful sets, halls etc. These things do not come cheap. So far, we have spent about N57 million in renting halls so far. Our London trip cost about N200 million which was the most expensive theatrical production ever. I do not look at the funds spent, rather from the indices of development. I see job creation, infrastructural development and impact on other areas like tourism, hospitality, media, fashion etc. It is not that we like to spend that kind of money, but we just have to because of the size. We are even getting bigger. We are taking Sunny Ade to London this year October; it will cost us another N200 million. We believe that theatre is a strong vehicle for national development and cohesion. That is why we do what we do.
Parents in the past preferred their children to be professionals like doctors, lawyers etc, how did your parents feel when you left banking for plays, theatre?
My parents did not have a choice. As at that time because I was already a bread winner. Do not forget, I was an investment banker first. When parents used to make such decision for their children was when the economy was good and you did not have to rely on your children for survival. Now that most parents rely on their children, not all will ask such questions, especially when they see what you do. I read political science with a Master’s degree in international relations, I went to Stock Broking, to Banking. Theatre production is all about sales, bringing various stakeholders, sponsors, vendors, artists, facility and project managers together. This is what I do even as a banker. It is not the passive job, but all part of what I do which is business development.
You are now an entertainer through your theatre works; how are you coping with the rise?
I am actually not an entertainer, but I am using theatre to send a strong message of national cohesion. I use the artist to help me do that. Yes, people come to see the plays because the production entertains the world. I would rather say we are in the ‘edutainment’ industry.
Do you feel fulfilled in your present career than being an investment banker?
I feel fulfilled in both sectors because my job is impacting people. My job as an investment banker impacted people in a different way. I am part of what I did in investment banking and still doing what I did in investment banking to act as a median between those who have the resources and those who need the resources to impact the society. This comes in the area of job creation, facility management and infrastructure and wealth creation. So, in that area, I was very fulfilled doing it because I saw people with dreams, I worked with them in funding those dreams to the point of execution. Now in theatre, I have seen young people with dreams of acting, directing plays, lightening, costumes. Then I look for funding to support them actualize their dreams, so we impact the society at the end of the day. I am born fulfilled and will always be fulfilled.
What opportunities has theatre brought your way?
Theatre and play have given me name recognition. It has given me a seat on the table of national discourse. It allows me also push about my visions. I want to talk about Bianca today because I am using the play to talk about conviction, female education, nationality and patriotism for the country. All of that are in the story. It has given me a lot of access, name recognition, money has not come, but very importantly, it has given me access to major families and powers in the country because of theatre. I am extremely very close to whoever that matters in the country. When we did the ‘Sardauna at 64’of his direct lineage. We were in the play.
How was growing up like, your family, the schools you attended?
I was born and lived in Shomolu all my life, until four years ago. I am from Akwa Ibom State. My father was a banker while my mother was a military nurse. I went to Command Children school.
How did Duke of Shomolu became your name?
It was a little altercation I had with my mai-guard, he said… ‘See as you de do like say you be ‘Duke of Shomolu.’
What advice would you give to upcoming theatre/play enthusiasts?
I do not do short plays; I do massive productions like 1-2 hours production. Nobody can be like me and should not aspire to be like me because I am eccentric. They should be themselves, but the most important in theatre is building a strong network. It is all about the network, building the technicalities, anybody can be an actor, but it is the man that brings the money that can count. Network is the reason we are where we are today. If you do not have a strong network, you may not be able to get the funding and may not be able to fill up the seats.