Eight years ago, The Families was not just a stage play, it was a declaration

On April 18th, 2018, The Families was first staged at the 34 Artillery Regiment, Obinze Barracks, Imo State during the first private dinner and official launch of HUG Media Concept. That night marked the birth of a vision rooted in truth, family, conflict, and the everyday contradictions that shape Nigerian homes.

What began as an intimate theatrical experience soon grew beyond its original space. The Families went on to tour and screen in Abuja, Lagos, and Warri, resonating with audiences across cities who saw fragments of their own homes reflected on stage, sometimes uncomfortably, sometimes cathartically.

Now, eight years later, The Families returns.

This reenactment is not nostalgia; it is remembrance, growth, and reckoning.

As part of the 7th anniversary of HUG Media Concept, The Families will be staged in Port Harcourt, bringing the story back to the theatre in a bold new form, while preserving the soul that made it unforgettable. The play remains as urgent as ever, interrogating class, control, religion, silence, and survival within the Nigerian family structure.

This new staging reimagines the physical language of the play through a minimalist V-shaped stage design, symbolising division, contrast, and the invisible lines that separate families even when they share the same estate, the same culture, and the same society.

The Families is written and directed by Godwin Harrison, whose work continues to sit at the intersection of social impact, realism, and African storytelling.

The production is led by Kelvin Okoroji Childs, produced under HUG Media Concept, in collaboration with Arts in the Garden City, Institute Francaise, Nigeria and Alliance Française Port Harcourt, a partnership that reflects the play’s enduring relevance and artistic value.

This reenactment is not a revival for the sake of memory.
It is a reminder that the conversations we started eight years ago are far from over.

Arts in the Garden City is a Port Harcourt–based creative platform dedicated to promoting art, culture, and community engagement through exhibitions, performances, and collaborative cultural initiatives. Learn more about their work at http://www.artinthegardencity.com