MASQUERADES OF ANIEDO: A Familial Dialogue

When art is said to stand the test of time, it simply means that despite the passage of time, such art will remain relevant to people’s way of life. This highlights the importance of encouraging constant conversations by the artists, for the artists, and with the artists. This mindset, as a writer and interviewer, influenced my interactions with some of the cast of Masquerades of Aniedo. The conversation allowed me to gain valuable insight into their world. From the brief interview, I learned about the filmmaking challenges and gained a deeper understanding of their relationships with their characters and co-stars. Overall, I found the interview to be a rich source of insight into the creative process behind the production of Masquerades of Aniedo which was launched by Africa Magic. 

Launched in July 2003 as a single channel showing mainly Nollywood movies, Africa Magic has expanded. It now includes more channels for movies, sitcoms, soap operas, telenovelas, music, reality TV, and magazine shows which showcase quality content by Africans for Africans. Shows commissioned by African Magic include Refuge, Chronicles, Love & Light + Small Cheating, Masquerades of Aniedo, and Slum King. The common denominator in these shows is their Afrocentric peculiarity of giving representations of Nigerian culture and people. And the People-loved Masquerades of Aniedo is a show that displayed an important aspect of Nigerian culture.

On the 24^th of November, Masquerades of Aniedo wrapped production after 4 months of filming. Shot on location in the Abadina community, within the University of Ibadan, Masquerades of Aniedo displays the culture of the Igbo people. The show takes us through a dramatic journey within the close-knit Ofu-Obodo autonomous community where characters like Muna, Chizitaram, Zina, Abaeze, Nkem & Urenna, Eze Dibia, Afam & Mmesoma, and a host of other interesting characters propel the plot and hold the attention of the audience with every episode – so far. 

Right from its first episode, we are taken straight into action to unravel the mystery behind the death of the great Masquerade of Aniedo. The show also quickly establishes the peculiarities of the Nwokoye family: A small family constantly ridiculed and disrespected due to their father’s extreme drinking habits. 

This family dynamic and more is consequently the catalyst that deepens the conflict between the family members and the community.  The series is executive produced by Femi Ogunsanwo (Enakhe, Finding Hubby). Jemila (Ajoche, Riona) is the series producer while Patrick Nkamiang, Nwosu Abagana Richard & Usman “Blackky” Ogunlade serve as directors. The show’s head writers are the seasoned trio: Donald Tombia, Timendu Aghahowa & Omotunde Akiode.  

In this exclusive interview, the actors – ‘Chukwu Martin, Uche Nwoko, Doris Okorie, Allison Precious, Eric Obinna, and Imoh Eboh – talk about “Masquerades of Aniedo”. I’ve also taken some liberty with the structure of the interview to present it as seamlessly as possible.  

Oz: What intrigues you about the series?

Allison: What I find most intriguing about the series is how down-to-earth it is. The characters are relatable.  

Eric: Yes, the series brings to play the culture of our people. At the same time, it unravels the mysteries behind the culture of a people by bringing it closer to them. 

Allison: Yes, the characters are authentic, original, and very much steeped in the grassroots. I love shows like that because the majority of people grew up in that kind of environment.  Not everyone grew up in the elitist worlds and spaces most of our films like to play with. So, watching elitist shows would be a form of escapism. But watching shows that play in worlds I’m familiar with evokes very different feelings. I enjoy Abaeze’s character arc: it’s strong, vibrant, and very relatable. I think that’s one of the elements the writers did a good job with – giving Abaeze a very strong and relatable journey. 

Imoh: Yes, authenticity. I believe the show is important to television and speaks to some issues in our society because of its authenticity. This story takes me back to an innocent Nigeria without the advent of technology and how badly it has messed up human lives. Love, joy, and wickedness are displayed in its raw form. In Masquerades of Aniedo, we see culture in its original form and we see places where we have lost it as a people. Viewers must have a feel of this community and relate to it. People must see themselves through this show, in their raw form.  

Doris: What I find most intriguing about the series is that it’s teaching me more about my culture, and not just about the surface aesthetics but the attitudes and behaviours. 

Martin: That’s right. It’s also a show that allows the performers to shine. We have actors playing characters who allow them to play in a language & culture that many of them don’t speak or understand in its fullest form and nuance. And given the very short period that we had to internalize the characters, it demanded super extra effort from the actors to craft something meaningful, empathetic, and nuanced. The performances I witnessed on set are a clear sign that my co-stars are indeed brilliant performers.  

Oz: And the Characters?

Imoh: Oh, they are all unique, even to the sales girl at Mmesoma’s Bar. They are all relatable characters you can easily identify with. Being Urenna is intriguing. Every girl with a dream and close-knit family and societal challenges would identify with her and want to use her story from the series as a yardstick for success. This helps me step out of Imoh, to be that girl these other girls can identify with and learn from. I watch Urenna and I see a girl I could have loved to identify with. She is the everyday girl with a dream and is working toward achieving that dream. 

Doris: Zina is different from anything I have ever done in my entire career. She’s an amalgamation of different elements. A lot is going on with her, both externally and internally. She’s fun. She’s cute. She’s crazy. She’s in love. She’s a fighter. I just love her. It’s been fun playing the character.

Uche: Chizitaram wants to be something more unlike her mother – a trophy wife. She wants to have an education and a career as a pharmacist. She also wants a stable love life – with Muna. I was particularly disturbed when she failed her UCE exam because she talked about it for a long time. But then again, she has a lot going on in her family and just couldn’t cope. I still believe that her dream is still there somewhere. I hope she achieves that.   

Oz: If you were to play any other character in the series who would it be? 

Doris: I’d say Ojoma. The way her story goes is just fantastic to watch. I love the character arc. I love the switch. I love her different experiences with her friends and family. Mena Sodje who plays Ojoma is beautiful to watch.   

Eric: Mazi Kelechi (Gold Ikponwosa). That character is crazy and hilarious.  

Imoh: I think I have fallen too in love with Urenna and answering this question will be betrayal. So, I will be Urenna again and again.  

Martin: Same. I’d be Muna again. But I look at characters like Augustus (Temidayo Akinboro) and Mazi Kelechi (Gold Ikponwonsa) and imagine how much of a bully I would have been.  

Uche: I fell in love with Chizitaram right from the audition. She challenged me to become her and I loved every bit of the challenge. I don’t quite agree with everything she does, LOL…but that’s what makes her interesting. I’ll play Chizitaram over and over again!   

Oz: Walk me through your acting process. 

Allison: I think acting is about the soul and for me to not have to worry about my soul, I have to get the mechanics in order. This would mean breaking down the script – scene by scene. So, when I get a script, I go through it many times breaking down every scene that I appear in. I do this to study what other people say about the character, and what the character says about himself. And since we don’t shoot film chronologically, for me to be able to follow through I have to be intentional in knowing the character’s emotional state in every scene and choices that inform those emotions. 

Once I go there, and do that, my soul can do the remaining part of the work. I don’t want to go on set to ask: “Oh, what happened before this scene”, it’s stupid, my soul will disconnect. The moment I get my call sheet, I start working. This prepares me for building a subconscious emotional state before going to set to shoot. Thus, the moment they call me to set, I am already in character. So, I might come to the set and not respond to other cast members’ talk.  I feel less talkative because, at that time, that’s what my character is feeling. And yes, I like no distractions.    

Martin: I like to have mental, and physical contact with the characters I get to play – the characters that choose me. Once I hear about the character either through a pitch or on the script, I already begin to form an idea, searching through my mental toolbox for a face, a speaking voice, a habit, and all the rest of it that defines what the character could be. The rest of the process just depends on keeping up with the consistency of the character’s emotions, traits, and all the rest of it. That is a lot of mental work. For Muna, I “stole ” certain nuances from my cousin and many other behavioral patterns I’ve observed from interacting with the people (characters) in my hometown whenever I get the chance to travel East. I like to observe and listen. 

Doris: Generally, when I get a script and I read through it, I imagine how I want it to look. I put myself in the shoes of the viewer by asking: Would I enjoy this if it was played like this? Would I enjoy this if the actor did it like this? Then, when I get on set, I have a conversation with my director to say, I think, I could do it this way and all that. Just recently it came up where I was supposed to shoot a scene a certain way and I spoke to the director and I said: “I think this would work” and he was like: “hmm. Okay, let’s see how it goes” and then we shot it like that and it was perfect. My process is: to know who the character is, know their relationship with other characters, read my script, imagine how it should look in my head, and put myself in the shoes of the viewers because, at the end of the day, we’re still watching it even if we’re in the film.  

Uche: Typically, I try to portray every character most realistically. It has to be real to me before it can appear real to the audience.  I internalize by empathizing with the character. I do this repeatedly, daily, for as long as I need to, to become the character.  I try to change my mannerisms, language, and behavior patterns to fit the character and try to live it in real life, till it becomes like second nature to me. And then I have to unlive this life and return to my true self. It’s all one huge mental, psychological endeavor. That’s the beauty of art! 

The most challenging scene I had to do was the first “love” scene with Muna (‘Chukwu Martin) at the workshop, and I think to get to that point, to be comfortable with Muna, we both had to connect on & off-camera. We have a unique connection. Muna made it easy for me, even though it was his first time as well playing a scene like that. The fact that I am close to Martin made it easy.  

Martin: Thank you. We overcame it.  I was very nervous and it was important to get familiar with each other, it made the connection easy. We had a very short time to get acquainted, even with the other characters.  

Eric: And that is what makes a good scene partner – affinity. The ability to connect on a level that makes the act appear real.  

Uche: And you know, also one of the hardest scenes was where I had to say goodbye to Muna, I don’t like goodbyes and it was really hard for me to do that scene. Yeah, I took it personally.  

Martin: Awwn. 

Imoh: I must say participating in the entire process of telling an authentic Nigerian story is a gift and I am grateful for that. “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” You can only wish for things to happen. I have also learned to sharpen my acting skills, for immediate performance. On this kind of project, because of time and funds, there is no time to exactly get into some moments like you would like to and you still have to pull from the deepest parts of yourself and deliver. It’s like a superpower. I am learning from my co-stars and their processes as well, both in and out of work and I hope their good qualities rub off on me. 

Doris: It has been a great experience so far… I’ve been on projects, on multiple projects of various types but being on a project of this magnitude is different for me; it is a different and fun terrain. Playing a character in a film is different from playing in a TV series. With the latter, you’re living with the character for a long time. And this has helped me see different sides of myself. I have learned a whole lot of lessons, personally & professionally. Certain things have happened that have shaped the way I see people and actors as well. Spending months with people has never happened in my career before. This is the longest I’ve ever been outside my own home. So, being around different people who come from different works of life is just…it’s exciting. I’ve learned more about filmmaking. It takes a village at the end of the day. It is a blessing to have very smart people on your team. 

Martin: You know, there are lessons I’ve learned from characters in the series, especially with Muna: it’s good to be a dreamer; go for what you want without being a dick about it.   

Eric: Also, I’d say for you to be great in life you need to serve and be humble, and you don’t need to occupy an exalted position to acquire that. 

Uche: From Chizi’s point of view, a lot of young women should understand that love is good and great, but it’s not enough. Women are way more than somebody’s girlfriend or wife; get an education.  

Imoh: One thing. Life is not easy for girls. I don’t know how to say this without giving future spoilers, so I’ll stop here.  

Allison: You know, there are choices that my character made that I disagree with. The back and forth with Abaeze’s love interest. I am the kind of person who if I shoot a shot and the shot is not caught or reciprocated, will never disturb you again. But we can see how Abaeze persistently declared his love interest even when the feeling wasn’t mutual. I won’t do that. But Abaeze went on and on, which was frustrating for me because I was so annoyed. But, I am an actor and I realize that Abaeze isn’t me. I’m telling someone else’s story and I made peace with that realization.    

Doris: If there’s anything I’ll take away from playing Zina, it’s that sometimes, there are certain things that you don’t force. You have to be a fighter who also knows when to quit. 

Martin: Baby Dibia don’t quit o! Keep fighting. Lol. 

Doris:  Muna shut up! 

Uche: Zina! 

Doris: What!

Oz:  Una wan fight for Muna again?  I liked that episode where the two of you fought at the coronation scene. Lol. Which of your co-stars do you enjoy scenes with? 

Imoh: Hmm…this is tough. I enjoy scenes with many of the characters I play closely with Zina and Muna, who is my brother in the show. Playing with them gives me a family-esque dynamic. My actual brother is 8 years older, but we love up and fight the way Muna and I love up and fight on the show.  

Uche: I enjoy having scenes with ‘Chukwu Martin (Muna), and Kelechi Ikponmwosa Gold (Mazi Kelechi), who both play my love interest and father on the show. They are both very amazing actors; I like to feed off their energies, and their delivery is natural and helps bring out my best. 

Doris: Scenes with my grandfather (Eric Obinna). They are the best scenes I’ve had to shoot so far. The conversations are very natural. We talk about the village (Ofu-Obodo) and about saving it. We talk about the other characters. We talk about everything and the emotions that come with the scenes are very true to life. We’ve experienced it all. Eric Obinna is a fantastic human, not just a fantastic actor. There was one time we shot a scene and afterward, he looked at me and said to me: “All my best scenes are with you” I looked at him and said: “Right back at you, sir”. That’s how much respect we both have for each other regardless of our age difference, regardless of our experiences in the industry. So, the mutual respect is there. Sometimes he tells me: “Oh, Doris, why don’t you do it like this” and sometimes I also say: “oh Pa Nnukwu let’s do it like this” and he listens. There’s nothing as fantastic as having somebody who you’re acting with respect for your opinion, regardless of the aforementioned differences. So, I love him. I love all our scenes together. There is no dull moment when you see “Eze Dibia” and “Zina” that’s #Ezedibia and #Babydibia, we’re just in sync, and I believe it plays out well on screen too.  

Martin: I often look forward to scenes with Eric Obinna (Eze Dibia). He’s very good with his eyes and his delivery is crisp. He’s super fun to work with; we laugh way too much on set, and tell too many jokes, way too much. He’s hilarious, he, Mazi Kelechi, and Mazi Ofor are something else. Lol. And of course, it goes without saying that I love scenes with Uche Nwoko (Chizitaram), most of our scenes always feel like we’re about to discover and enter a new emotional portal in Muna & Chizi’s relationship.

Oz: How do you react when you receive a negative review about your performance? 

Allison: It rarely happens but when it does, I just know that, it’s acting you know, for the fact that I couldn’t emote that and give a good performance doesn’t mean I can’t. At the end of the day, everything is practice, just because I cannot do it today doesn’t mean I cannot do it tomorrow. There were times when I couldn’t cry on cue but now, I can cry on cue. So, I know I just have to do the work. I don’t think anyone can tell me I am a bad actor because I know I am not a bad actor. There are just some scenes or roles that I can’t play yet because I have not practiced on them as much as I have practiced the ones I can play perfectly, so; it is just a matter of work. So, I just take it like, yeah, I get it, I can’t do this. I mean, I know what I can do and what I cannot do, and at the end of the day you are working for the audience. You are working for the audience to feel what you’re doing so if the audience says they didn’t feel this, you just have to understand why they didn’t feel it and introspect on what will make them feel it better, you know, and then apply it into practice. So, it’s not much of a hassle for me, it’s just work and I just need to put in the work and practice so I am going to be good at it.  

Uche: I’ll admit, bad reviews can hurt, but I take it and learn from it. I use the feedback to become better if I genuinely feel like the review is indeed true. But I’m yet to receive any bad reviews from the show. 

Eric: Reviews only challenge me to go back to my inner self and come out better. I review my performances more strictly than others would; it helps me to improve my act.  

Oz: Which do you think is important for actors, talent or training?  

Uche: Both. But more training. Talent without consistent training will remain dormant.  

Allison: This is very tricky. But, both are important. To sound strong-headed, I am going to say it’s talent. Training is very important. I can tell when someone is a talented actor and I can also tell when someone is a trained actor that doesn’t have the talent. This is my take. When I was six, seven, eight, or nine years old and would act in church, I had no training, I don’t even think I have had formal training. The training I got is mostly self-sourced from watching YouTube videos and reading articles but those times I have performed with no training and the audience would feel it, and maybe if I had some training, it would have still been the same outcome. I don’t know. I just think that talent is very important. It’s art and I think talent is more important.  

Eric: Talent comes first, training refines talent, so both are equally vital for the actors. 

Masquerades of Aniedo is still showing on Weekdays at 8 pm on Africa Magic Showcase, Channel 151. The show is also available to binge on Showmax.