Power, Betrayal and the Visual World of Wèsóo

A homecoming should be a moment of reunion, but in Femi Osofisan’s Wèsóo, returning home means confronting a family torn apart by betrayal and a kingdom shaped by self-interest.

The production, staged at Lagos Theatre on 15 December, 2025, brings audiences into a world where personal ambition threatens communal welfare, and the pursuit of power comes at a devastating cost. Directed by John Adeoye and produced by Yinka Matthew, the play offers a compelling dramatic exploration of corruption, revenge, and the consequences of letting private interests take precedence over the good of a community.

At the centre of the story is Leto, who returns home to find his father, Oba Sayedero, dead; his mother has married his uncle, Ayibi; and the man now occupies the throne. What initially appears to be a deeply unsettling family situation gradually reveals a more disturbing truth: Ayibi was responsible for the king’s death following a dispute over a proposed tobacco company. The conflict gives the play a political edge, exposing the lengths to which people may go to secure power and advance their interests, even when their actions threaten the very people they are meant to serve.

The play’s engagement with Yoruba cultural traditions adds another dimension to this conflict. Ancestral and spiritual elements bring the past into the present, allowing the living to confront the consequences of what happened. Rather than treating betrayal as an isolated act, the drama places it within a wider world of relationships, responsibilities and consequences.

It is within this richly layered dramatic world that Sampson Morenikeji’s costume design becomes particularly significant. The costumes contribute to how the audience encounters the characters and understands their places within the social and political order of the play. In a story involving royalty, family divisions, and competing claims to authority, appearance can help distinguish those who hold power, those connected to it, and those whose lives are affected by its misuse.

In Wèsóo, the costume design helps give a visible presence on stage, supporting the audience’s understanding of the relationships and hierarchies that drive the conflict. The costumes are an important part of that process and help us see that the impact of live theatre rests not only on the conflicts played out before an audience but also on the considered creative choices that give those conflicts a visible, tangible life on stage.

Ultimately, Wèsóo offers more than a story of a son returning to confront a devastating family betrayal. It examines the destructive relationship between personal ambition and public responsibility, while drawing on cultural traditions to deepen its exploration of power and consequence. Sampson Morenikeji’s costume design strengthens the production’s visual language, helping establish the characters within the play's world.