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Reminiscing With Adunni Alaalo

 
Elanor Parker Review by Elanor Parker 4 Published: 26 May 2026 Brighton Fishing Museum Loft Show Dates: 23 May 2026-25 May 2026

It’s almost 30°C and Brighton isn’t lacking sunshine, but the smile of Adunni Alaalo - played by award-winning performer Bola Stephen-Atitebi - still fills the Fishing Museum with even more brightness and warmth. Her smile is so compelling that you can’t help but smile back.

her smile is so compelling, you can't help but smile back

We first hear Adunni before we see her as she glides down the steps of the Old Net Loft into the Fishing Museum, where her audience awaits, calling out to us in song. It quickly becomes clear that we are not just her audience today, but also her friends and co-performers, as she teaches us to say ‘ẹ káàbọ̀’, a greeting meaning ‘welcome’ in Yoruba. We repeat it together as Adunni beams and sings to us, while her assistant plays a Nigerian talking drum, creating a steady beat to underpin our chanting.

As she introduces herself, Adunni tells us that her first name means ‘the sweet one to have’ and that Alaalo means ‘storyteller’. Certainly, throughout the performance we come to understand what a sweet gift it is to be in her presence. We follow her back up the stairs and take a seat - on a chair or the floor - ready to listen as our master storyteller weaves her words.

She recounts traditional folktales from the Yoruba people, as well as stories from across wider Nigeria, including the tale of how the lion became King of the Jungle over the elephant, who was tricked by a wily little tortoise, and the sad story of a brother who tears his family apart through jealousy. Adunni brings these stories vividly to life through her storytelling, but also by casting members of the audience to reenact the characters’ tales.

Adunni tells us that her mother visited the day before and reminded her of a lullaby, which she proceeds to teach us just as her mother once taught her. Indeed, Adunni herself takes on a maternal mantle: teaching us, guiding us, coaching us. She encourages us to join in, have fun, and play. Much of the audience is shy, a little unsure, and reluctant to step forward and participate. However, Adunni is wonderfully persuasive and gently cajoles us into pushing past our awkwardness. It is genuinely joyful to watch adults become silly and playful when they are so often held back by social convention and a fear of failure or ridicule.

Listening to Adunni’s tales, told with such spirit and joy, strikes deep at the heart of our society. At the end, she tells us that we need to preserve the stories and songs from our childhood. She relates this to the oja cloth, an important rectangular strip of fabric that serves many purposes but is most commonly used for carrying babies. Adunni explains that our fates are all bound together, as though tied by an oja. Yet we see so often in modern life that this connection is under threat. Children watch AI-generated cartoons on iPads - stories not created with moral guidance or cultural longevity at their heart, but designed simply to secure the next click or view. Reminiscing with Adunni Alaalo is suitable for the whole family, but it is the adults who most need to attend: to unlock their inner child, reaffirm their roots, and remember that - regardless of our cultures or histories - we are all connected.

Amir Nisi

Elanor Parker

Elanor is a Brighton based marketer, freelance writer, and English graduate. Pursuing her interest in live performance, Elanor has trained with Nottingham's New Perspectives theatre company and worked at Edinburgh Fringe, where one year she managed to see over 65 shows during the festival.

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Award-winning performer Bola Stephen-Atitebi, recipient of the 2023 Brighton Fringe International Encore Series Award for her performance in Esther’s Revenge, brings her captivating storytelling to Reminiscing with Adunni Alaalo. This 50-minute interactive performance celebrates Nigerian oral traditions, weaving folktales, riddles (alo apamo), folk songs, and live African percussion into a joyful, immersive experience. Rooted in Yoruba culture yet drawing connections across Nigeria’s diverse traditions, the show begins with an invocation and audience call-and-response, continues with theatrical storytelling punctuated by African drums, and invites the audience to join in participatory songs and chants. A highlight of the performance is the Reminiscing Circle, where audience members share their own childhood memories, creating a bridge across cultures and generations. After the storytelling, a curated pop-up displays textiles, crafts, and cultural items referenced in the tales.
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