Uhuru expected to open renovated Kenya National Theatre

The official opening of the newly refurbished Kenya National Theatre (KNT) has been moved to Friday afternoon, September 3.

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to open the threatre.

Among his invited guests will be professors Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Micere Mugo, whose play the Trial of Dedan Kimathi had its world premiere at the KNT in 1976.

The Head of State will be presiding over an eclectic set of performers ranging from poets and pop musicians to acrobats and a youth orchestra. The programme has apparently been designed to show the versatility of the theatre.

Everyone is invited, especially as a chunk of performances will be held outside the theatre in the public car park.

There’s no telling who will be in and who will perform outside; but I can bet the National Youth Orchestra will be on stage as will poetess Sitawa Namwalie and musicians like H_art the Band, Iddi Achieng’, Makadem, Idd Aziz Kunya and Winya.

Outside are likely to be Kenyan traditional musicians, dancers and percussionists.

Already the modernised national theatre is being booked up.

Meanwhile, tonight opens up a full weekend of local productions with the Festival of Creative Arts bringing back Dirty Sexy Money at the Alliance Francaise and Phoenix Players opening in John Fowles’ Angels Never Die running through September 13.

Several other theatre groups staged shows last weekend. They included Johari’s latest Kikuyu comedy Cabi Yene at the Kenya Cultural Centre, Friends Ensemble’s Why did I Get Married? at Phoenix Theatre and Strathmore’s Drama Society produced another George Bernard Shaw classic The Devil’s Disciple at the Alliance Francaise.

Sadly, I couldn’t make it to Johari’s comedy, but it was Strathmore’s Shaw production that won me over, despite several actors confusing good theatre with melodrama. Nonetheless, Strathmore often stages Shaw plays that are invariably thought provoking, intricately plotted and steeped in moral, social and political issues that are still alive and disturbing today.

Actors always know their lines and give impassioned performances. The costumes and sets are also well done.

Set against the backdrop of a right-wing military regime bent on eliminating its opposition, the story is about a rich man who changes his will before he dies and leaves his major holdings to the family “black sheep” Antony (Martin Abuya), who ironically declares himself the devil’s disciple.

But actually, Antony is a highly ethical maverick who despises his so-called Christian family’s hypocrisy and selfishness.

His mother (Ivy Mwenda) is an especially despicable character whose greed and mean-spirited treatment of her dead brother-in-law’s child born out of wedlock Elsie (Barbara Nyambura) is heinous and hateful. However, Mrs Magiwa is an equal opportunity “hater” who beats up everyone, including her son Christie (Ramsey Njire) and even the pastor’s wife Judith (Rose Makau).

While the story at one level looks like a family drama, Shaw’s keen interest in politics is seen when the police come to arrest the village pastor (Clarence Kipngetich), who is also a leader of the underground movement that finally topples the regime.

People power ultimately wins in the end as does Antony, whose heroism is matched by that of the leader of the revolution.
It’s a great story and Strathmore told it well.

Friends Ensemble’s Why Did I Get Married? was also a family drama but with no political, social or even religious context in which the story was set. It’s just about a miserable couple who don’t communicate and won’t come clean about their true feelings.

Joe Kinyua’s character tried to get dialogue going between them, but his wife (Mwajuma Bahati) was elusive and mealy mouthed about what was going on in her life.

Most Kenyan men I know would never tolerate a wife who disappeared for days and then had no explanation for her absence. I’m all for women having freedom of movement, but if two people choose to be together there should be mutual honesty and respect.

It could be because of the child (Juanita Tunu), who in this case was sweet although she will need a bit more mastery of her instrument before she comes back on stage.

Why Did I Get Married? falls into the trap that most plays scripted outside Kenya find themselves in: it didn’t reflect the sensibilities or prevailing attitudes of Kenyan society.

Probably the best reflection of this fact was when the wife returns home pregnant after being absent for nine months. Her hubby welcomes her with open arms but honestly, who was the father? Who knows? Certainly not Joe.

Story corrected on September 3 at 10am to indicate that President Uhuru Kenyatta is scheduled to open the Kenya National Theatre on Friday September 4, and not August 29 or September 5 as earlier announced. - Ed