High rental and parking fees empty theatre of crowds

After East African Breweries poured in more than Sh100 million into the renovation of the Kenya National Theatre, local thespians are asking serious questions, like why the theatre is charging exorbitant fees — Sh50,000 per night to rent the theatre, while Alliance Francaise only charges Sh30,000. Or why it only allows two shows per day and none after 9pm.

Why are the rates so high? Why a curfew on the artists and why limit energetic theatre troupes capacity to perform?

What is worse, why are vehicles still being charged between Sh550 and Sh650 for passengers to see a play?

“Last weekend, local theatre lovers discovered they would be charged a fortune to park at KNT,” said Eliud Abuto, Festival of Creative Arts’ producer.

“The word went around so fast that many of our fans phoned to say they couldn’t come see our show [Betrayal] as costs were prohibitive,” he added.

The last time I saw a Festival of Creative Arts show at KNT was before the renovation and they performed to house-full crowds. Yet last weekend, I saw a fraction of the theatre filled.

The shortfall in attendance had nothing to do with the quality of the show; rather it had everything to do with locals’ inability to justify paying more than twice the previous price to see their favourite theatre troupe.

However, Phoenix director Ser Otieno says KNT rates are fair compared to the National Museum’s Louis Leakey Auditorium that he says charges Sh80,000 a day.

As for the show itself, I thought the updated version of Betrayal was finer than its earlier incarnation.

The story is about three couples who go on holiday together, but theirs is no joy ride. All three have flawed relationships: one guy is cheating on his wife with the resident barmaid; another wife brutally belittles her spouse for being a poor breadwinner, and the husband of the third woman has erectile dysfunction, which drives his wife into the arms of another.

It’s a messy situation all round, and all their actions have dire consequences.

Enough is Enough at Phoenix Players is a well-told story, originally written by the Cameroonian playwright Protais Asseng. It was recently enacted by Heartstrings Kenya at the Alliance Francaise, only there was no attribution to the original writer.

Heartstrings improvised on the basic storyline of a husband who badgers his wife for more babies which drives her to connive and convince him he is pregnant.

Phoenix’s version of the script is straight forward and fun, but it was Heartstrings who captured the total absurdity of the concept and kept us laughing throughout.

Phoenix and director Jacob Otieno is to be applauded for staging more plays by African writers, but on opening night the intervals between scenes were too long and the acting needed a touch more levity.

Finally, another powerful drama written and directed by Walter Sitati, The Other Life opens tonight through Sunday at Alliance Francaise from 6pm. Also tonight, Johari Players stage their new comedy Menya Ciaku at Kenya National Theatre.