An Alpha for Bikiya Graham Douglas and her BEETA crew

Last week, actress, singer and business entrepreneur Bikiya Graham Douglas led the Beeta Universal Arts Foundation (BUAF) crew to host the maiden edition of the Beeta Playwriting Competition. Sponsored by Union Bank and supported by a few corporate bodies including Terra Kulture, the competition aims at discovering fresh talents in the area of playwriting. Over 179 entries were received from all over the country. The entries were pruned to nine by a panel headed by Professor Ahmed Yerima of the Redeemers University, Ede. Other members of the panel of judges included Lala Akindoju and Kenneth Uphopho.

At the grand finale which held at Terra Kulture last Monday, ‘Our Son the Minister’ a play about leadership and governance by Paul Ogbede, was declared as the best of the plays that were entered in this edition of the playwriting competition.

Bikiya a trained dramatist and a theatre spirit has assured that the competition will continue while the winning plays will, “funds permitting,” be staged and taken on a university circuit tour.

Bikiya obtained a degree in Business Law from the University of Portsmouth. She attended the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and took a foundation course in acting at the Oxford School of Drama. She joined The Bridge Theatre Training Company where she was properly groomed for a future in the performing arts and returned to Nigeria in 2008 and since her return, she has featured in a number of stage productions including The V- Monologues and had led BUAF to produce a few including Iya-Ile.