Mama Ekaette’s Kitchen After Midnight
The best pepper soup in Calabar, served after midnight, to people who should not be in the same room.
The play
Mama Ekaette’s Kitchen
Mama Ekaette’s buka only opens after midnight. Tonight her customers include a politician hiding from his wife, the wife, a wedding planner with no wedding and a power company man who has come to cut the light. Nobody is leaving until the soup is finished.
Written in Calabar over two years and developed with the ensemble in our studio, the play has been shaped by the actors who perform it. Directed by Nkoyo Effiong-Asuquo, with design by Bassey Ita and music by the Opus drummers.
Two hours of laughing so hard the woman beside me lost her gele.Example review, five stars
Dates and seats
Choose a performance.
The calendar shows only this play. Tap a date for times and seats left.
November 2026
Pick a date
Dates with a dot have performances.
Cast
Who you will see.
From the Opus ensemble. Example names for this demo.
Offiong Henshaw
Mama Ekaette
Ekpenyong Eyo
Chief Bassey
Ima Okon
Mrs Bassey
Victor Ani
The meter man
Prices
What a seat costs.
Student tickets need a valid student ID at the door. Under 14 tickets must be with an adult. Example prices for this demo.
| Area | Full | Student | Under 14 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front stalls | ₦12,000 | ₦7,200 | ₦6,000 |
| Stalls | ₦8,000 | ₦4,800 | ₦4,000 |
| Rear stalls | ₦6,000 | ₦3,600 | ₦3,000 |
| Balcony | ₦4,000 | ₦2,400 | ₦2,000 |
Before you come
Good to know.
Strong language and adult humour
Scenes of drinking on stage, for adults only
Pepper soup smells real, it is
Audio described performance on Saturday 30 January
In rehearsal
Photographs.
Tap a photograph to see it larger.
Is there an interval
Yes, twenty minutes, with the bar and kitchen open.
Can I bring children
The age guide is 16+. It is a guide, not a rule, but children under 2 sit on a lap and need no ticket only at The Lantern Keeper.
What if I arrive late
Latecomers are seated at a suitable break, usually within ten minutes. Front stalls latecomers may be moved to the back of the stalls for that scene.
Can I swap my date
Yes, up to 24 hours before, to any other performance of the same play, for free. Message the box office with your reference.
Also this season
Make a night of two.
The Salt Road
Three sisters, one canoe and the last load of salt before the rains.
The Lantern Keeper
When the lights go out over the creek, a tortoise and a girl must carry the last lantern home.
Seats for Mama Ekaette’s Kitchen.
16 performances, 14 January to 7 February 2027. Choose exactly where you sit.