The great and the good from several continents convened in London to celebrate the 60th birthday and honour the 40-year career of actress Golda John Abiola last weekend. Friends she has known for more than half a century – since her formative years in Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria – undertook the arduous 6000 mile round trip with zeal to be able to share an ephemeral but poignant reunion with “Aunty Gold”, “Sister Golda”, “Obuts” or “Mama G” to relate just a few of the affectionate sobriquets coined by those whose lives she has touched. From those with whom she has shared time on stage and screen to those who have busied themselves behind the scenes, Golda’s professional colleagues spoke with one voice of her professionalism and dedication to her craft. That she could be relied upon to give of her best has always been beyond doubt, but guest speakers also alluded to her happy knack of being able to extract the best from those around her – a talent she displayed even before her earliest forays into acting for a living alongside seasoned professionals. School friends from Golda’s time at Reagan Memorial Baptist Girls’ Secondary School, some of whom played opposite her in school performances, were surprisingly well represented considering the time and distance that needed to be spanned to relate their memories. Others’ associations with her are more recent but no less memorable. Eminent professors from Golda’s time at University of Lagos were also effusive about her acting prowess. None of the foregoing should be allowed to overshadow Golda’s personal life. The theme for the evening was Loving Wife, Caring Mother, and her husband, publisher Mike Abiola, had compiled a collection of tributes and messages, including many from family members and those who clearly regard Golda as a surrogate mother/sister/aunt. These were presented to the celebrant as a book, the title of which gave the evening its theme and which was launched as part of the day’s itinerary. Loving Wife, Caring Mother: a Collection of Tributes to a Wife to Love Forever is described in my own review as a “veritable encomium”. The book opens with a foreword by personal friend throughout Golda John’s career, Dr. Duro Oni, Professor of Theatre Arts – Department of Creative Arts & Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services) at University of Lagos. Copies will available to order via Facebook and later on Amazon, Kindle & eBooks.
