“Sound of Music”- A Story In Every Stitch 

There is something special about a musical that can make a familiar story feel alive on stage. Beyond the songs and choreography, it takes a strong cast and thoughtful creative choices to make the music serve the story rather than simply decorate it. The stage adaptation of The Sound of Music, rewritten by Dafe Collins and directed by Omolegbe Omolara, brought together music, family, love, and the struggle for freedom in a production staged at the Muson Centre on Friday, 30th January 2026.

At the heart of the story is Maria (Erioluwa Ajenifuja), a young woman training to become a nun whose lively personality and love for music make her an unusual fit for the quiet discipline of convent life. She is sent to work as a governess to the children of Captain Georg (Tanimola Ayomide), a man whose household runs with the strictness of a military ship. Still grieving the loss of his wife, he raises his seven children through rigid routines, uniforms, and commands delivered by whistle. The children have learned to obey, but they have little room to express themselves.

Where the Captain uses whistles and commands to maintain order, Maria uses songs to encourage connection. The contrast gives the musical its emotional centre. 

Erioluwa Ajenifuja brought the free-spirited quality of Maria to the stage with a portrayal that captured her joy, warmth, and willingness to challenge the atmosphere around her while Tanimola Ayomide, as Captain Georg, offered a strong contrast. His portrayal conveyed the authority and discipline of a man accustomed to having his household respond to his every command. 

While the performances and music carried the narrative,  the strongest creative choices are often those that do not compete with the story but help it speak more clearly, and the production’s most striking elements were its costume design. 

The work of Godknows Stephen especially stood out because the costumes did more than make the characters visually appealing. They helped establish character, communicate personality, and give the world of the play a stronger sense of identity. They added beauty and definition to the stage while reinforcing a story about the importance of finding one’s voice, protecting one’s freedom and refusing to let fear have the final word.

Captain Georg’s disciplined household provides a particularly clear example of why costume matters in this story. Uniformity is part of the way he maintains control, and the children’s clothing reflects the routines and expectations imposed on them, while Maria’s more lively characterisation carries a different spirit. The contrast between the world she enters and the warmth she gradually brings to it is central to the story, and costume helps make that difference visible.

Godknows Stephen’s work made a strong impression because the effort invested in the costumes was evident on stage. The designs contributed to the visual appeal of the production while also supporting the characters and the story being told. Rather than feeling like an unrelated layer of decoration, they helped give the stage picture coherence. Their value lay in the way they served the production as a whole, strengthening the audience’s understanding of the people inhabiting the story.

The production was a worthwhile theatrical experience, with Godknows Stephen’s costume design emerging as a particularly memorable contribution. The costumes added beauty and definition to the stage while reinforcing a story about the importance of finding one’s voice, protecting one’s freedom and refusing to let fear have the final word.