Waterside, a critically admired Nigerian play that probes faith, family and the environmental conscience of a generation, is set to make its London debut as part of this year’s Black Athena Festival.
The production, staged by Kininso Koncepts, will take to the intimate Studio stage at Rich Mix on March 20, 2026, a venue long associated with bold, culturally ambitious theatre.
The play centres on two young men, bound by brotherhood, whose actions unknowingly set off a chain of consequences that shakes their world. As silence hardens into tension and long-buried truths resurface, a family is forced to confront a past it was never prepared to face. The narrative moves between the funny and the unsettling, the mystical and the raw, interrogating what is owed between generations, and what is lost when tradition and the natural world are left to decay.
Described by its producers as “funny, mystical, and unflinchingly intense,” Waterside draws on the restless energy of Nigerian youth while grappling with themes that resonate far beyond West Africa: the erosion of the environment, the weight of inherited belief, and the cost of silence within a family unit. The festival setting is no accident; the Black Athena Festival has built a reputation for platforming work that reframes African history and culture on its own terms.
The single performance, scheduled for 7.30pm, is expected to draw audiences from across London and beyond, with the production team encouraging theatregoers to travel from Birmingham, Luton, Milton Keynes, Kent and Colchester. Seats are limited, and tickets are priced at £15 (standard) and £12 (concession/student). Those making plans to attend can book online at https://www.kininsokoncepts.com/waterside-at-the-black-athena-festival/
