Clarissa: On the red carpet with the cast and creatives at London Film Festival 2026

Mae Trumata 16 October 2026

Clarissa: On the red carpet with the cast and creatives at London Film Festival 2026

Written by Chuko Esiri and directed by him and his brother Arie Esiri, Clarissa reimagines Virginia Woolf’s classic Mrs Dalloway, basking in the warm colours of Lagos, Nigeria. Despite the change in time and setting, the feature still explores themes of class and lost opportunities. It darts between past and present to accentuate the titular character’s regrets and lamentation while also showcasing a time before her busy high-society life, fussing over housekeepers and her daughter. In her younger summers, Clarissa was surrounded by a crowd of friends, spending her time swimming at the lake or marvelling over literature and poetry with her former lover, Peter. This narrative style is further enhanced by the excellent casting choice, with Queen Charlotte’s India Amarteifio as young Clarissa, a complementary prelude to Sophie Okonedo’s performance in Clarissa’s adult years. The rest of the younger cast comprises Toheeb Jimoh, Ayo Edebiri and Kehinde Cardoso. Meanwhile, David Oyelowo, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Jude Akuwudike and Danny Sapani lead the older members of the cast.

The Upcoming caught up with some of the brilliant individuals behind these endearing characters. We first met with Cardoso, who plays young Ugo, and he outlined the film’s storyline. He underlined the brilliance of the Esiri brothers and their ability to transpose Woolf’s writing into modern-day Nigeria. He also touched on the message of what-ifs and regrets in the piece: how life derailments can change the trajectory of one’s path. Cardoso talked us through the casting process, from his first meeting with Chuko to the five-year gap between that initial interaction and finally getting the call for the Clarissa auditions. The actor commented on the collaborative process behind the project, and further emphasised Chuko and Arie’s efforts to stay true to the text while affording their actors a bit of creative freedom in expression and interpretation of the roles.

Amuka-Bird, who plays the older version of Edebiri’s character, Sally, also stopped by to discuss how the change in setting provided Clarissa the opportunity to explore the infrastructure of Nigerian society, alongside themes of class systems and post-colonial culture. But beyond that, she also underlined the importance of the picture as one exploring friendships and that nostalgic yearning for things that could’ve been. She talked extensively about her research coming into the project, from the novel to the directors’ guidance – from mood boards to the music – and also deliberating with Edebiri on the direction they wanted to take with the character. Amuka-Bird expressed great love for adapting books and finding ways to reframe through script and visuals. She closed her interview by highlighting how she was able to re-experience and gain a deeper understanding of her culture while filming in Lagos, Nigeria.

Akuwudike also took time on the carpet to talk to us about the directing duo of Chuko and Arie, especially their knowledge of movement and colour, seamlessly transposing the book to screen and presenting the story for a modern audience. He expanded on the use of past and present, having two actors playing the same roles, and the perfect match-up between the different sets. He was especially delighted by the similarities between him and Ogranya – who plays a younger version of his character, Richard – such as being second children, studying architecture before giving it up and pursuing acting. Akuwudike emphasised the themes covered in Clarissa, specifically social justice and how it reflects Nigerian society, as well as the depiction of PTSD, making its message both timeless and universal.

Unlike the rest of the cast members we spoke to at this event, Yasmin Dankaro doesn’t play a younger or older version of anyone. Instead, she dons the role of Ellie, Clarissa’s daughter. She talked us through the film’s premise – exploring choice and what-ifs – and touched on her research and the awareness of how Ellie’s character in this adaptation deviates from the original text, while commenting on how she related to Ellie. Dankaro explained the daunting aspects of stepping into the project, from its being an adaptation to the talented and established cast that it had gathered. She recalled pulling up to set despite not shooting, or even sticking around after she had wrapped her scenes, just to bask in the work of these giants, soaking up as much knowledge as she could from the actors and the directors.

Finally, Jimoh, known for his work in Ted Lasso, and this time playing the role of young Peter opposite Amarteifio, arrived for one final interview on Clarissa. He said he hopes to transport viewers to Nigeria through the film, experience Nigerian culture for the first time while also seeing a different side of it – for those already familiar with Nigerian culture. He outlined how his and Oyelowo’s story for Peter diverges, with his in particular being heavy on the yearning. He praised the script written by Chuko and highlighted the mark of something different and authentic within the brothers’ version of the story. He closed the interview by discussing the chemistry between him and the rest of the cast, and the pleasure of witnessing it on screen.