The National Theatre, in collaboration with Story Theatre with Grandma Wura, recently presented a musical performance from kids between 8 and 16 years. It was the grand finale of this year’s summer workshop, where the children were exposed to several creative adventures.

Staged on August 22 and 23 at Terra Kulture, Lagos, the two-day production, titled, I Wish I Wish, a sell-out show, draws audiences into a world of masks, costumes, and spirited performances by children.

The show is one-of-a-kind theatrical event for the children and families, filled with nonstop entertainment and learning. The Broadway-style children’s musical directed by Bola Edward, fondly known as Grandma Wura, the show takes its viewer through a dose of music and dances with occasional flashes of theatrical excellence by the children.

Set across a classroom, the city, and a traditional Igbo village, I Wish, I Wish combines vivid costumes, sound effects, stage scenery and set, including 3D projections and choreography to tell a story about teamwork, love, service, and the dignity of hard work—values embodied by the ant colony.

With fleeting moments, good stage movement, spectacle, colour, drums and dancing, the show takes it audiences through culture shock. It blends music, dance, and humour with an underlying moral depth that resonates with both children and adults.

The narrative, framed by Grandma Wura’s storytelling, follows Nkechi, a city girl weary of holiday chores in her grandmother’s village. Grandma persistence throws her into the bush and woods.

In a fit of frustration, she wishes to become an ant— Nkechi’s wish to be an ant was granted by the Wind of Wishes only to discover that even the smallest creatures face hard work, responsibility, and sacrifice.

“Be careful what you wish for, because the wind of wishes might just be around the corner to grant it,” warned Grandma Wura at the close of the performance, linking the ants’ spirit of cooperation to the unity Nigerians need for nation-building.

With its vibrant staging and youthful cast, I Wish, I Wish proved that children’s theatre can be as entertaining as it is instructive, reminding audiences that the simplest stories often carry the weightiest truths.

“It is not what you have that defines you but how you carry what you have.” National Theatre CEO Tola Akerele, who championed the summer programme, praised the collaboration as part of efforts to nurture young talent. “This summer at the National Theatre, I had the privilege of championing our younger voices through the Children’s Summer Camp in partnership with Proud African Roots,” she said. “Across music, dance, drama, and storytelling, the children reminded us why the arts matter because they give space for imagination, confidence, and community to grow.”

According to Akerele, the children underwent 19 days of intensive training in acting, singing, and dancing before the play. “They came in timid, some with little skill. But what they delivered in less than three weeks is remarkable. Beyond theatre, they gained discipline, teamwork, and leadership skills. This is what excites me most.”

She described Grandma Wura as an excellent collaborator whose passion for children’s theatre made the production outstanding. “The National Theatre is going to be a beacon of light for the youth. Nigeria is a youthful nation, and we must be youth-focused if we want to secure the future of our creative economy,” Akerele said.

Akerele also hailed Grandma Wura as an inspired collaborator and reaffirmed the National Theatre’s commitment to youth development. “Nigeria is a youthful nation, and we must be youth-focused if we want to secure the future of our creative economy,” she added.