In a bold fusion of innovation and storytelling, Ghana has made global theatre history with the successful debut of the world’s first commercial mobile theatre production.
On Saturday, July 26, 2025, an Ayalolo bus in Accra was transformed into a moving stage for “Kelewele Junction”, a gripping live theatre performance by Agape Arts Productions (AAP).
The production staged three full-capacity performances at 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM, and 8:00 PM, offering passengers an emotionally charged, immersive experience that redefined conventional theatre. What began as a simple boarding of a bus quickly turned into a profound journey through the shadows of society’s most unspoken struggles.
A City Bus Transformed into a Confessional
Written and directed by the acclaimed Francis Jeremy Afizie, who boasts a repertoire of 25 original plays in just nine years, Kelewele Junction follows the story of six ex-convicts who find themselves on the same ride home after prison. What begins as casual conversation quickly unravels into emotional revelations—confessions that expose trauma, guilt, betrayal, survival, and the desperate hope for redemption.
Each character’s story peeled back layers of Ghana’s social reality—from a wrongly accused delivery rider and a defrocked pastor haunted by greed, to a whistleblower criminalized for doing the right thing, a teenage girl imprisoned for defending herself against rape, and a betrayed wife navigating justice in a broken system.
The 90-minute ride took passengers on a symbolic and literal route through Accra, starting from the National Theatre and weaving through the Ministries, Ako Adjei Interchange, Independence Square, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, and Jubilee House, before looping back through Osu Oxford Street to the National theatre. The cityscape itself became part of the performance—a backdrop to stories too often ignored.
More Than a Play—A Mirror to Society
Speaking after the final performance, AAP’s creative director Francis Jeremy Afizie explained the deeper meaning behind the bus concept:
“A bus carries people, their baggage, and their destinations. So does this story. We wanted to bring these hidden lives into public spaces—into people’s daily commutes—so that they cannot be ignored.”
With its fearless dialogue and moments of dark humour, Kelewele Junction delivered unfiltered social commentary on the justice system, prison conditions, sexual abuse, mental health, stigma, and reintegration. Audience members were not merely spectators—they were part of the unfolding narrative, locked in the same moving space as characters confronting past demons and seeking truth.
Audience Reaction: “We Will Never Forget This”
Reactions to the mobile theatre experience were immediate and heartfelt. Some audience members wept. Others applauded mid-performance. Many were left speechless. One viewer described it as “the most intimate and confronting performance I’ve ever experienced—every tear, every pause felt personal.”
By stripping away the distance between audience and stage, the production delivered what few theatre formats ever could—raw empathy.
A Groundbreaking First—With More to Come
While mobile theatre has existed in various forms around the world, Kelewele Junction is believed to be the first-ever live drama staged on a moving city bus as a commercial production. It is certainly the first of its kind in Ghana and Africa.
AAP has hinted at additional performances and a potential national tour, with the aim of making theatre more accessible, mobile, and impactful. The mobile theatre format, they say, will be further developed to reach communities directly—on their roads, in their realities, and through their stories.
In the end, Kelewele Junction was not just a play on wheels. It was a moving conversation—about truth, pain, justice, and healing. A testimony that Ghanaian theatre is not just evolving—it’s on the move.
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