Nigerian Novel My Sister, the Serial Killer Is Being Adapted into a Ballet

Ballet and murder mystery might not seem like the most obvious pairing, but the UK-based ballet company is bringing My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite to the stage in a dark, stylish adaptation of the 2018 hit novel.

Ballet Black is the UK’s only professional ballet company with an inclusive approach to storytelling. This production is choreographed by Cassa Pancho. Pancho is the founder of Ballet Black and has had an impressive career that includes creating over 60 new ballets, collaborating with renowned choreographers, and earning accolades such as the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award and an MBE for Services to Classical Ballet.

If you haven’t read My Sister, the Serial Killer yet, here’s the gist: Korede is used to cleaning up after her sister Ayoola—literally. Ayoola has a habit of killing her boyfriends, and Korede’s job is to make the bodies disappear. Things get complicated when the man Korede loves falls for Ayoola, forcing her to make some tough decisions. Get a copy here. Ebony Thomas will play Tade. Helga Paris Morales is Ayoola and Isabela Coracy Korede.

The book was an instant hit in 2018 when it first came out. It was longlisted for the Booker Prize, a Sunday Times bestseller, and winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It is sharp, darkly funny, and the kind of novel that feels made for a creative, unconventional adaptation like this one. In 2020 BBC did a radio adaptation.

Braithwaite shared the news on Instagram, clearly thrilled about seeing her debut novel take on a whole new form.