Command Performance Of Sofia Freden's Hand in Hand Play Holds At Swedish Embassy Abuja

In what would count as the play and playwright’s first ever sojourn on an African stage, Swedish playwright, Sofia Freden’s play Hand in Hand is Arojah Royal Theatre’s choice for the 2015 edition of its Cultural Diplomacy production.
The Nigerian adaptation created and produced by the Artistic Director of the Abuja based theatre outfit, Arojah Royal Theatre, Om’Oba Jerry Adesewo with the support of the Swedish Embassy in Nigeria.
“The cultural diplomacy initiative was launched in June 2014 with our production of August Strindberg’s ‘Dance of Death’, which was well received by both the diplomatic community and Abuja residents. The fact that we are having the second edition, is quite encouraging.” He said, adding that the whole idea of the cultural diplomacy initiative is to encourage the principle of ‘theatre without border.’
The play, directed by Jibrin Ahmed and featuring the likes of Oyewale Oluwatoba, Adeyeye Sandra Timi, Ebichi Promise, Ijadunola Babatunde Richson, Longret Dalong and a host of others will be seen by a select group of some members of the diplomatic community of Thursday 29 October at the residence of the Ambassador of Sweden, Mr. Svante Kilander.
Hand in Hand will then make a second appearance on stage at the Ladi Kwali Conference Hall, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja on Saturday October 31 for Sheraton’s annual ‘Road to Awareness Initiative’ at 3.00pm.
“We’ll be participating in the Sheraton Hotel charity initiative for the second year running, and incidentally with another Swedish play. This is our contribution to Sheraton’s effort to help Sheraton raise funds for UNICEF for African children. We appreciate this very rare opportunity which is in itself a continuation of the ‘Theatre @ Sheraton Initiative’ which we pioneered.”
Sofia Fredén’s Hand in Hand is a comedy which comes across at breakneck speed, is a fictitious report of a young urban world taht the audience can connect with easily. They are young, they are lost. They are searching… for a flat – at any cost. Aron and Petter are brothers. Nina and Allan have been going together. Nadja meets Petter first, Aron later. Gary, Aron’s and Petter’s dad, prefers being with Nina to fulfilling his paternal role.
Sofia Fredén was born in 1968 in Göteborg, Sweden’s second largest city. She studied writing for film and theatre at Dramatiska Institutet, graduating in 1995. Since graduation she has written prolifically for the theatre and also writes for film and radio. Her plays have been produced in most of the city and regional theatres in Sweden, as well as at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. In 2005, Sofia received the critics prize for Children and Youth Theatre, for three plays that played simultaneously at three different theatres; Bara Barnet(Only a Child), Ruttet: ett prinsess liv (Rotten: The Life of a Princess) and Solapan (The Sun Monkey). Several of Sofia’s plays are translated to other languages; French, Romania, Norwegian, Danish, Arabic and English primarily. She is working as a dramaturg at Stockholm City Theatre.
Was given the Swedish Ibsen Prize in 2008.