I sat down with writer Bunmi Aworanti to find out more about Love vs Fear and My Mother’s Prayers coming to The Cockpit Theatre this November as part of Voila! Festival.

Love vs Fear and my Mother’s Prayers addresses the pressure young women often face to be romantically settled. What inspired you to bring Kike’s story and her negotiation between family expectations and self-discovery to the stage?

I wanted to write a play that touches on the struggles young women have with navigating dating and relationships, especially when dealing with cultural pressures to get married.

In African cultures, parents often impose an expectation on their children to get married before their thirties. I wanted to explore how this pressure can shape the dynamics between a young unmarried woman and her traditional Nigerian mother.

What drew you to integrating audience participation through immersive online games, and how does that interactive element shape the storytelling?

I grew up watching movies in cinemas in Nigeria. There was something about how the audience were so vocal in their reactions to the films… this always made me curious about what it would be like to give the audience a more interactive role in theatre.

It led me to think of innovative ways to break the fourth wall between a character and the audience, allowing the audience to feel even more deeply immersed in the story through interactive gaming.

Balancing religious faith, familial duty, and personal desire is a central theme in the play. What has been the biggest challenge in capturing these complex cultural dynamics in performance?

I think the biggest challenge is fully capturing the humanity in all of the characters and fostering a sense of relatability in all of it.

I didn’t want any of the characters to simply be a caricature of their biggest challenges and vices because it’s natural for us all as humans to need something to hang on to as we go through life, whether it may be companionship, faith, or a sense of belonging.

Navigating these dependencies is always challenging, and I wanted the play to portray that.

How do design choices such as lighting, sound, or digital tech help bridge the gap between Kike’s inner world, her mother’s presence, and live audience interaction?

Without giving too much away, Kike has a habit of relinquishing her autonomy to others and compartmentalising to a point where she willfully ignores red flags.

I wanted the digital element and the sounds used to give a glimpse into how she does this and what she actually wants to do, but instead, she hands over to someone else in her own quirky way. Through the lighting, sounds and interactive gaming, I hope to bring her inner thoughts to the forefront.

If you could sum up the core message or spirit of the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?

“Self-love is key”.

I think it’s so important to spend time developing the love of the self, truly digging into who you are to find out what you love about yourself and developing your own understanding of what self-love means to you.

Love vs Fear and My Mother’s Prayers runs at The Cockpit Theatre, London, on 5 – 7 November. Tickets available at https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/show/love_vs_fear_and_my_mothers_prayers