‘The Forest of Talking Drums’, the first immersive live experience from Niyi Akinmolayan, opened to a sold-out first day in Lagos this week and it’s quickly becoming one of the city’s most talked-about live theatre productions. The response points to a growing appetite for immersive performance experiences that push beyond conventional stage boundaries.
The interactive theatrical experience is part of Akinmolayan’s growing efforts to expand his focus beyond film and explore large-scale, audience-driven storytelling through platforms like OneTake and immersive experiences such as Immersia.
The project reflects an ongoing interest in rethinking how stories are staged, consumed, and collectively experienced, ‘The Forest of Talking Drums’ places audiences inside a fully realised performance environment. Rain falls on stage, mist rises into the air, and forest leaves drift into the audience, collapsing the distance between performers and spectators.
Audience members beat talking drums and shekeres, wave glowing sticks, and chant with performers. At certain moments during the show, they also throw plastic fruits onto the stage, responding in real time to the music and movement unfolding around them.
The result is a performance shaped as much by audience participation as by choreography and script.
Rooted in the West African storytelling traditions and the symbolic language of the talking drum, the production blends cultural expression with contemporary immersive theatre techniques. Sound, movement, and physical elements are deliberately layered to heighten emotional engagement and collective presence.
The sold-out opening is not only a commercial milestone but also an indication of shifting audience expectations within Lagos’ live entertainment scene. ‘The Forest of Talking Drums’ proposes a performance language where theatre, music, movement, and audience interaction exist as a single experience.
You can experience the show from December 19 to January 3 in Ikeja, Lagos. Tickets are available online at https://immersia.show/
