RUNBOYRUN by Mfoniso Udofia Premieres as Audio Drama June 16

A new audio adaptation of runboyrun, the acclaimed play by Mfoniso Udofia, will premiere June 16, 2025 on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. This marks the third installment in Boston’s Ufot Family Cycle, a landmark nine-play theatrical undertaking charting three generations of a Nigerian American family.

The podcast was produced in partnership with Next Chapter Podcasts, GBH, The Huntington, and the Boston Public Library, and recorded at GBH’s state-of-the-art studios.

runboyrun weaves between 1968 Biafra and 2012 Worcester, MA, as it explores the lasting effects of the Nigerian Civil War on Disciple Ufot, a man haunted by the past and struggling to remain connected to his wife, Abasiama.

Playwright Mfoniso Udofia plays Abasiama—her first time performing in a role within her own cycle—alongside Chiké Johnson as Disciple, reprising a role he first played at New York Theatre Workshop.

Conceived and written by Massachusetts-raised, first-generation Nigerian American playwright Mfoniso Udofia, the Ufot Family Cycle is a nine-play epic staged across Greater Boston by more than 35 organizational partners. runboyrun is the first and only podcast adaptation in the series, expanding its reach beyond live audiences.

Described by The Boston Globe as "one of the most exciting things to happen in Boston theatre in a long time," the Cycle is a bold experiment in radical collaboration and cultural storytelling.

Udofia, a graduate of Wellesley College and American Conservatory Theater (ACT), has become a rising force in both theatre and television. Her screenwriting credits include Pachinko, Little America, A League of Their Own, and Lessons in Chemistry, among others. She previously collaborated with Next Chapter Podcasts on the award-winning Othello adaptation for Play On Shakespeare.

“Mfoniso Udofia’s storytelling genius should be experienced by as many people as possible and in as many mediums as possible,” says Michael Goodfriend, Chief Content Officer at Next Chapter Podcasts.

runboyrun will be available to stream starting June 16, 2025 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and all major platforms.

Learn more at nextchapterpodcasts.com or follow along with the Ufot Family Cycle via The Huntington, GBH, and Boston Public Library.