A new stage production by Performance Strategist, Dr. Abiola Salami, has become a talking point, with its message urging women to own their space, command presence, and resist the pressure to shrink.

Adapted from his best-selling book, No More Shrinking, the musical stage experience debuted at Terra Kulture, Lagos, on March 28, drawing a diverse audience. Timed to mark International Women’s Day 2026, the production extends Salami’s advocacy for women’s empowerment beyond print into a more immersive format.

Speaking at the premiere, where he served as executive producer, Salami described the project as more than theatre, but a growing movement aimed at addressing the confidence gap among women in leadership and professional spaces.

“It is not that we lack competent women,” he said. “The real gap is often confidence.”

The project has evolved from a podcast in 2025 to a book and now a stage production. According to Salami, each stage has been designed to deepen engagement and connect with women’s lived experiences.

Blending music, theatre, and dance, the production creates what he described as a “lived experience,” encouraging women to confront limiting beliefs and embrace visibility. He also contributed two original songs to the performance.

A central theme of the play is visibility. Salami stressed that invisibility poses a greater challenge than incompetence, noting that while skills can be developed, unseen potential often goes unrecognised.

Director Austin Onuoha described the adaptation as both demanding and rewarding, noting that the stage brings emotional depth to the story. “You see the emotions unfold in real time,” he said.

Among those present at the premiere were actors Kate Henshaw and Carol King, who both echoed the play’s message of self-assertion and confidence.

Henshaw expressed strong support for the production’s theme, while King urged women to reject limitations and step forward with confidence. She noted that although progress has been made, there is still more to be done.