Historical drama returns to the stage with launch of Mageuzi Theatre

Zetu Zakale is a brand new arts collective that came together during rehearsals for the premiere performance at Phoenix Theatre of John Sibi Okumu’s new historical drama Kaggia late last year.

Made up of the playwright and the premiering cast, all of whom have stuck together even now as they are about to stage a repeat performance of the original play.

Correction! Harry Ebale, Lydia Gitachu, Bruce Makau and Wairimu Mwaura are indeed coming back on stage on May 1 — for two nights only — to restage the script which again is named after the Mau Mau freedom fighter and leader — Bildad Kaggia, but which the playwright Okumu has heavily revised, to what end we will soon find out.

Ebale both directed and played the title role the first time round while Gitachu played his long suffering wife who stuck by him through thick and thin.

Makau and Mwaura again play filmmakers who are making a film about the man but want to be true to his character, principles, political position and personal commitments as well.

The two recognise Kaggia’s complex character: he was a man who refused to compromise his commitment to anti-colonial struggle and the rightful restoration of Kenyan people’s land.

The play unfolds not as the real life story of Kaggia but as the filmmakers imagine his life as having been. Okumu’s slippery genius comes through clearly in the course of the play as he gives the responsibility for constructing Kaggia’s character to the two youngsters, not to himself.

It was a clever device, given any interpretation of an historical figure, especially a Mau Mau freedom fighter, is always open to lively, often contentious, debate.

Nonetheless, some people still felt Okumu’s concept of Kaggia was too mild-mannered since his script barely conveys the militancy that must have belonged to the man; nor did Ebale project the steely rock-solid stance of a man who never relinquished his position nor relented in wanting the Mau Mau’s vision fulfilled of a free and independent country that was owned and controlled by Kenyans themselves.

So the main reason for coming out to PAWA254 on May 1 will be not only to celebrate the inaugural production of PAWA’s newly constructed Mageuzi Theatre, situated just below the popular centre’s original space at YMCA’S Alliance House, but to see how far and in what direction Sibi’s seminal script has gone.

The fact that he’s joined hands with the original Kaggia cast is a good sign, especially as Ebale says Zetu Zakale is committed to staging more original Kenyan plays with scripts from other African states occasionally staged as well.

Meanwhile, both shows performed last weekend, Towards Tomorrow at Phoenix Players through May 3 and Don’t Let me Go at Alliance Francaise, were scripted overseas, then slightly indigenised to make them feel more relevant to local theatre-goers.

Ironically, both plays pass the test of making sense to Kenyans since we have all known conmen and conwomen who might be telling us truth but we can’t be sure one way or the other.

We’ve also known do-gooder aunts who defy social convention and bring total strangers into their homes, and we all may have had mentally deficient neighbours who are sweet simple souls but still get stigmatised by society at large.

Njeri Maina is the supposed rape victim who could be a clever con artist who wins the sympathy of the naïve auntie played by Eunice Muturi.

The skeptical journalist who believes her family friend is being taken for a ride is played by Teresa Wahinya and the sweet simple nitwits are played by Martin Kigondu and Gibson Ndagia.

The play’s mystery revolves around Njeri’s character who we’d like to believe is truth-telling; but as the play unfolds her character is called into question as she seems to expose her true ‘con’ character to the ‘nitwit’ who turns out to be more intelligent than she imagined him to be.

In short, Towards Tomorrow is well worth seeing. And for light amusement, so was Don’t Let Me Go, although what made the FCA comedy compelling was the question it raised: “What would you do if you found 25 million bucks in a bag that you’d accidentally picked up on your way home?”

Would you turn it into police as your wife insists you do or would you quickly book a one-way ticket to anywhere you wouldn’t be traceable by those who’d inevitably come looking for you?

That was the delirious dilemma that kept audiences laughing at Alliance all weekend. There will be two repeat performances early in May.