SNL UK goes Nollywood as Cynthia Erivo parodies Nigerian Wicked
The Wicked star spoofed the movie's shipper community and the so-bad-it's-good excesses of low-budget Nigerian cinema during her hosting gig.
On Saturday's SNL UK, Cynthia Erivo returned to the magical world of Oz for a sketch titled "Nigerian Wicked." The comedic sketch parodied the Wicked films and the low-quality, often humorous productions of Nigeria's prolific Nollywood film industry. Nollywood, as it is informally known, is renowned for creating countless movies, with some genuine cinematic masterpieces, but is often celebrated for its low-budget, direct-to-video, and unintentionally hilarious films.
An example of these films is the unauthorized action thriller Beyoncé's Revenge, which features box art parodying the Nollywood trend of unlicensed, unauthorized adaptations of popular culture.
Erivo's portrayal in "Nigerian Wicked" featured a handbag-obsessed Glinda, while her co-star Ayoade Bamgboye played Elphaba, the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West. The sketch incorporated in-camera magic effects, awkward melodrama, and a hint of sexual tension reminiscent of what Wicked fans have longed for. The film's tagline, "Nigerian Wicked: LGBTQ!", suggests a brief moment of subversive representation, but not much more than an abrupt slap in the face.
Erivo, who is of Nigerian descent, performed the role under her full birth name, Cynthia Chinasaokwu Onyedinmanasu Owezuke Amarachukwu Echimino Erivo, showcasing her deep understanding and appreciation of the genre.
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