Sometime In May

Sometime in May by Adebola Santa Ogunshina is a contemporary Nigerian stage comedy that explores the pressures of marriage, societal expectations, and financial realities through humor and satire.

The play centers on Wole, a struggling photographer, and his long term girlfriend Ife, who have been in a relationship for fifteen years without marriage. While Ife is increasingly anxious about settling down, especially as friends and younger acquaintances get married, Wole secretly delays proposing because of the enormous financial expectations set by her family. Ife’s parents insist that any man who wants to marry their daughter must provide about seven million naira to cover the wedding and associated cultural obligations.

Under pressure to prove his commitment, Wole eventually proposes with the help of his friend Sukky, leading to a series of comic complications involving a borrowed ring, unrealistic financial schemes, and the sudden involvement of Ife’s demanding mother. As preparations for the wedding intensify, Wole’s desperate attempt to raise money collapses when the investment scheme he relied on crashes, leaving him trapped between love, pride, and the crushing expectations surrounding marriage.

Through exaggerated situations, witty dialogue, and relatable characters, the play humorously critiques the commercialization of weddings, the societal pressure to marry, and the economic strain placed on young couples. Despite its comedic tone, Sometime in May raises serious questions about love, responsibility, and the cultural weight attached to marriage in contemporary Nigerian society.