Exclusive interview on Veteran Actor and Director JEJE IBUKUN

Jeje Ibukun is one of the profound, veteran and eloquent actor and director we have in Ibadan and in Nigeria as a whole. He has worked with countless professional actors and actresses, and he is a masterpiece of his profession. Artpal crew was able to track him down for a quick interview on one of his oncoming stage drama titled “IF” directed by him. Well, let not say it all in summary relax, sit-back and enjoy.  

CAN WE KNOW YOU?

My name is Jeje Ibukun, am a creative artist, a performing artist, am a theater artist, am an MC and am everything that is creative.

SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU STARTED ACTING?

Aaahhummm, hmmmm, basically I will say I started in the year 2002.

WHAT STAGE PLAY HAVE YOU ACTED OR DIRECTED?

The plays have directed are quiet numerous. I have directed “LANGBODO” written by Wale Ogunyemi, I have directed “OVONRAMWEN NOGBAISI” written by Olarotimi, have directed “KURUNMI” also written by Olarotimi, I have also directed “THINGS FALL APART” written by Chinua Achebe. I have directed so many plays.

YOUR LATEST STAGE PLAY IS “IF”. WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT THE INSPIRATION?

Well hmmmm what brought about ‘’IF” is that. If you look at the world we are now and our society generally especially as Africans, you will see that the word “IF” comes out everyday in our daily living because you keep asking yourself what “IF’’ you are Dangote, what ‘’IF’’ I am Otedola, what ‘’IF’’ I have a car, what ‘’IF’’ am not poor. For instance, maybe you at the junction and it is raining and a car just pass and splash water on you, you know the first question that will come to your mind is what ‘’IF’’ am the one driving the car, what ‘’IF’’ I have my own car, (you understand) so there are so many ‘’IF’’ questions that comes in our daily endeavors in African, so that was what bought about the inspiration.

WE HEARD THAT YOU ARE A FRIEND TO GABRIEL AFOLAYAN, HOW DID YOU GUYS MEET?

Gabriel Afolayan and I went to the same University (University Of Ibadan) and incidentally we happen to live in the same hostel precisely (Kuti Hall), so then as JAMBITES we were having little difficulty about accommodation, so my brother who was in 200 level then I guess (geography) had his own room in kuti hall, so he told us to come and scot with him in his room, so that was I how I took Gabriel Afolayan with me and we were living with my brother in the same room and since then we’ve become friends and we are still friends.

GABRIEL AFOLAYAN IS INTO SCREENPLAYS, WHY ARE YOU NOT YET INTO SCREENPLAY LIKE HIM?

Because of my passion and of course Gabriel is very passionate and let not forget his dad is the late Afolayan (Ade love) that we all know, their family so to speak has been on stage one time or the other. But my passion for stage is like, while people are going to screen or doing screenplays or stuffs like that, shortcut here and there, I was like can’t we still revive or still bring about stage play, because the truth is stage play is the real play, because you get to see your actors on stage, you feel the vibe, you know, it is an interaction between the actors and the audience, you see the actor life on stage and in stage play there is nothing like mistake, you know once an actor make that mistake on stage you continue the play unlike videos that they will say cut, they correct your mistake ,camera rolling and start again. But on stage what you have rehearsed is what you have rehearsed and so you must act it out and even though there is a mistake, you continue. 

So stage play as more of professionals who are conscious of that professionalism that okay “we are in front of the audience we can’t afford to mess up, we can’t afford to make mistakes” because there is no second chance on stage. So that is why people like me have decided to stay and to stick with stage play.

CAN STAGE PLAY STILL BE VIBRANT AS BEFORE IN NIGERIA?

That is what we are trying to do, that is what we are trying to bring back, especially to Ibadan. If you have been in Lagos in recent times, you will know that stage plays are thriving now in Lagos, if you go to muson Centre, tara culture you will see stage play coming up every now and then, you’ll see people paying as high as N10,000 per ticket to watch stage play and that is exactly what we are trying to achieve because if It’s happening in Lagos we believe by God’s grace it can happen in Ibadan and that is why some of us are still sticking around to bring back stage play.

Unlike in the days of Elbert Ogunde, Baba sala and co when we have the Odium cinema, the Obisesan Hall and UI (University Of Ibadan) people go there to watch. Believe you me people still want that stage play thing because they get connected with it but because they are not seeing where to go or who will bring those things back and that is why people like us are saying we will not give up and we will still try and bring it back.

WHAT ARE YOUR DREAMS IN THIS BUSINESS OF PERFORMING-ARTS?

Well, my dream in this business is to go as high as God will take me. I want to be a renowned state person extend in Nigeria and by God’s grace to the world. I really want to stick like I said, I am so passionate about stage plays, stage performances whether music, dance, drama, I am so passionate about it. Because am an African I like this audience actor’s interaction, you know when you are on stage you are seeing your audience and they are seeing you live and direct, there is this connection between your audience and you.

I really want to make it big, I know it is capital intensive, it needs a whole lots of money but with God’s grace and if we don’t relent we believe that sponsors will come, overtime and then as time goes on they’ll get to see what we doing and they will be interested to invest in us.

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