Gods Nick Ndeda and Mugambi Nthiga stunned as the girl with no name (Mkamzee Mwatela) remembers how she was murdered. PHOTO | MARGARETTA WA GACHERU
What you need to know:
The Pope came to Kenya and went in a twinkling of an eye only to land next door in Kampala where the Bayimba International Theatre Festival was underway and the one original Kenyan production of Sitawa Namwalie’s Room of No Names premiered on Friday, a few hours after Pope Frances’ arrival.
The biggest drama of the week was undoubtedly the arrival of Pope Francis in Nairobi on Wednesday, followed by his inspiring sermon at the University of Nairobi on Thursday and ending with his departure early Friday.
So much has already been written about the Pope, especially the way he was treated like a rock star by millions of Kenyans who definitely felt honoured that he chose our country as his first port of call when making his initial sojourn to Africa.
But the public couldn’t help feeling the suspense that surrounded his visit given all the security checks and the roads that were blocked as a way of pre-empting any potential danger that might lurk either from terrorists or other local lunatics.
Nonetheless, the Pope came and went in a twinkling of an eye only to land next door in Kampala where the Bayimba International Theatre Festival was underway and the one original Kenyan production of Sitawa Namwalie’s Room of No Names premiered on Friday, a few hours after Pope Frances’ arrival.
No one is likely to suggest that the Pope stole the limelight from the world premiere of Sitawa’s play; but I’m glad of Room of No Names being staged again at Kampala National Cultural Centre on Sunday afternoon.
Personally, I’d recommend theatre lovers who’ve come from all over the world to see amazing theatre make sure to watch Sitawa’s play. I speak with some insight since I and a handful of other people got a sneak-preview of the show last Friday afternoon.
I saw that not only was the script incredible for its perfect blending of Luhya folk lore, lyrical poetry and the sort of suspense often associated with murder mysteries.
But the setting was a surprise since one rarely finds dead people striving to solve the mystery of their own murder.
That’s what Mkamzee Mwatela’s nameless character wants to do to discover her name and true identity which somehow was stripped from her psyche even as her life was taken by some nefarious means.
Mirror actual event
She embarks on a journey of self-discovery accompanied by two Luhya gods, played by Mugambi Nthiga and Nick Ndeda, and one mysterious female figure (Sylvia Namassia) whose identity we don’t find out until the very end of the play.
If the script sounds intriguing, the acting is equally fine; and under Nyambura Waruingi’s sensitive direction, this incredible story feels utterly credible.
The story seems to mirror an actual event in Kenya where a young woman was mysteriously murdered but the culprit was never found since Big Men were involved.
Her reputation was subsequently so smeared that no one seemed to care that the young University of Nairobi woman died a horrific death.
Sitawa’s play raises many relevant issues as does Mkawasi Mcharo Hall’s production of Puma which continues this weekend at Kenya National Theatre.
It’s a play like Sitawa’s that includes music and dance, but that doesn’t make either show a musical per se. Nonetheless, those elements enhance the stories and deepen the mood and emotional involvement in each play.
In Puma, another girl may have lost her life, but for much of the play Tunu (Lenahliz Kalala) is the beautiful little girl who’s been chosen to sing during Madaraka Day celebrations at Nyayo Stadium.
Tunu, who’s the child of a single mother (Sarah Masese), never reaches the stadium as she’s asthmatic and has a life-threatening attack along the way.
Fortunately, she’s taken to hospital by a good Samaritan (James Webbo), an IDP who’s lost everything in the post-election violence which Mkawasi (who’s both playwright and director) powerfully portrays in flashback form.
The other element of realism and drama in Puma relates to the hypocrisy and dishonesty of the popular clergyman, Pastor Mwamba (Gilbert Lukalia), who’s disowned his former lover, Tunu’s mother, as well as his child for the sake of his perceived piety.
There’s a lot of drama in Puma as well as elements of humour, especially as Mkawasi creates characters who look like the pickpockets, pseudo-pious clerics and chokoras who we all may know well.
Finally, Heartstrings cannot round up the year without staging one more outrageous comedy which has not-so-subtle political undercurrents, Kenya Is Not Your Mother’s Property, running from December 8th through 13th.
