Nollywood actors Deyemi Okanlawon, Kehinde Bankole, and Toyin Oshinaike will lead the world premiere of Crown of Blood, a Yoruba adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
The production features a wider ensemble and will debut at the Crucible Theatre from February 2 to 7, 2026, before moving to the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry from February 11 to 14.
Okanlawon and Bankole take on the principal roles, with Oshinaike appearing in a supporting role. Directed by Mojisola Kareem and written by Oladapo Agboluaje, Crown of Blood was developed with support from the National Theatre’s Generate Programme.
The production reimagines the tragedy within 19th-century Yorubaland, drawing from African storytelling styles while maintaining the core themes of ambition and power.
The story follows General Aderemi, played by Okanlawon, newly promoted to Field Marshal. After an oracle delivers a prophecy, he and his wife Olabisi, portrayed by Bankole, are drawn into a violent pursuit of the throne as the kingdom faces growing instability.