When comedian Agnes Akite announced that her 10 years celebration of comedy will be held at the National theatre with a show titled Son of Opio, many were left wondering. Well it didn’t make sense because her being a female meant that she would go for Daughter of Opio. Akite didn’t explain why she is Son of Opio until Wednesday when she held her comedy show.
The show despite being on a Wednesday attracted a huge crowd even though many of the people had work to do the next day. The show had revelers take their seats by 7:30pm and by 8:30pm the action had started on stage with ZKR band playing some music before Saxophonist also joined the music bit of it showcasing his Saxophone playing skills. There was poetry by Brandy and the first act of the night was up-and -coming comedian Jordan Nasasira. Another new face in the comedy Industry Obalim performed and left the stage for Dr Hilary Okello who set the bar high making way for the queen of the moment, Agnes Akite.
Fun Factory’s Richard Tuwangye was the host of the show and at around 9:30pm, he asked the stage controllers to draw up the curtains revealing the whole stage. At the beginning, the big part of the stage was reserved for Akite whereas other acts performed in front of the curtain with not much stage space.
When the curtains were drawn, Akite emerged from below the stage when everyone’s eyes were glued to the back stage entrance. The other thing that was eye-catching was the stage design and set up done by EXP impressions; a Landscape and Interior Design company. EXP designed the stage lighting to add on the theatre inbuilt lighting. They also designed block letters that read Son of Opio and this added to the beauty of the stage.
At the show, Akite finally explained why she is the Son of Opio. According to Akite’s story that dates back from Nakawa quarters, she says that when they were giving birth to her, her father was in the audience was very sure that the baby he is going to give birth to is a boy and told everyone who cared to listen but the biggest disappointment of his life was when the baby came out and it was a girl.
To manage the damages, Akite says her father didn’t show the child to the village people but rather told everyone that it was a boy and everyone kept demanding to see the son of Opio. Akite also went with the floor and she accepted that however much she is female, her father already lied to the people that he has a boy so she automatically became son of Opio.
Akite also reminded the people of the 2023 attack that almost took her life when she was beaten by a notorious gang just outside her gate while coming back from a show. It is a sad story but Akite delivered it in a comic way sending the house into laughter. Akite’s show was produced by comedian Timothy Nyanzi and while ending the show, Akite thanked her family and the crowd that supported her that night as she singled out groups like Pombe stores, a popular hangout in Bweyogerere Kirinya, Sisterhood and BBK among others.
