Dramatic tension plays out in the bedroom

This August, Theatre @Terra will hold its viewers spellbound with ‘A Husband's Wife,' a piercing drama set in a couple's bedroom.

Addressing the issue of fidelity and the impact it can have on a marriage and the family, the hour-long drama revolves around Femi, a man who loves his wife of 22 years but still needs Linda, a lady old enough to be his daughter, to ‘spice up his life.'

His wife is desperate to keep her husband and is ready to go to great lengths to do so. If comedy is your forte, then you might be disappointed as the play is mostly a grim affair, with only a sprinkling of humour.

The two person play, written by Tyrone Terrence and directed by Sola Roberts Iwaotan, starts in a bedroom and ends in the bedroom, a couple's most intimate part of the house, where inner feelings are let out. The play will have three different sets of cast for this month's run. The first offering had Sola Roberts Iwaotan playing Femi and Jennifer Nkiruka Osammor playing Tomi.

In "A Husband's Wife," Tomi accuses her husband of infidelity, a fact she gets from a reliable source. She feels hurt, because his reason for cheating on her sounds strange, funny and disturbing.

Asked why he decided to be unfaithful, he says that he saw an advert that asked, "When was the last time you did something for the first time?" That was what sparked his sudden bout of betrayal, which makes her feel even more insulted. Why would a man throw away 22 years of marriage because of a TV commercial?

Tomi uses words, gestures of affection, tears and every arsenal in a woman's armoury to win her husband back. Desperation can do many things and it does so in this play, as Tomi makes her case and uncovers more interesting facts about her husband's affair.

In her desire to keep her husband and save her marriage, she makes choices that take her on a path that ends in tragedy. The play is performed by a solid cast. Sola Roberts-Iwaotan's pedigree as an actor rings true, even while doubling as the director.

Jennifer Osammor is in her usual element, and interprets her lines as the desperate Tomi to perfection. The set, which comprises their bedroom and a window that looks into the sitting room, is complemented by the fact that the characters use their night wear for a larger part of the play.

The music used complements the scenes and the moods of the performers, which is a plus for the director because at times it's difficult to tally the two. Still, despite the talented cast and crew, there's no getting around obvious lapses in the play.

For example, Tomi picks the phone before it starts ringing, and Iwaotan calls Jennifer Osammor by another name while addressing her. That said, "A Husband's Wife" still has a lot to offer for theatre lovers every Sunday in August. The rotating cast also promises to keep the action and dialogue fresh.

‘A Husband's Wife' is at Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage, Victoria Island, Lagos, every Sunday in August.