A little bit of tragedy, some farce, a couple of musicals, comedy and the classics can sum up some of the productions that graced our theatres in 2024.
The year was indeed memorable, perhaps more for the audiences who sought catharsis through the weekly performances, in a year that has been challenging on many fronts.
We begin by paying homage to two stalwarts who stamped their legacy in what I call the trinity: theatre, art and literature, subjects that often borrow from one another.
First, Margaretta wa Gacheru, a theatre and arts reviewer for close to three decades passed away in August. Her reviews on these pages, and in the Daily Nation affirmed her passion for the stage and its players.
She was gracious even in the wake of illness. Margaretta was rare, the kind we ask, from whence cometh others. In the words of Diana Mwango, our Lifestyle Editor, Margaretta was a gem, passionate, tenacious, kind and witty...one who was meticulous about her reviews.
Second, is thespian and literary man Prof Oluoch Obura of Kenyatta University. Prof Obura's contribution to a generation of thespians and literary greats has been celebrated by many who knew him.
In eulogising him in our sister paper, Daily Nation, Mwalimu Austin Bukenya reminded us that Obura was among the pioneer African thespians at the Kenya National Theatre (KNT).
This is important because KNT had not been envisaged for ‘natives’ but it was the consciousness of those next door, at the University of Nairobi and their protests that allowed thespians like Obura to finally have their day at this grand stage. May their memories forever live with us.
Margaretta wa Gacheru poses for a photo during the 2nd edition of Art of the City Campaign held on June 21, 2023 at The Artcaffe Riverside in Nairobi.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
Bukenya himself, deeply involved in Kenyan theatre for many years was feted earlier this year at his 80th Birthday celebrations. Among his accolades was the work he did in conceiving the renowned Kenyatta University Cultural Week which has launched the careers of many accomplished thespians.
Comeback
One of these is Bryan Ngartia who made a comeback in the genre of poetry with Dai Verse: Poetry for the people at the Braeburn Theatres.
Ngartia would later on share his journey in the business of theatre at Twaweza Communications convened Intergenerational dialogue in theatre in Kenya.
His Too Early for Birds re-staged Mboya to growing audiences at the Jain Bhavan auditorium in Loresho, Nairobi - with a second re-run in November, until fate had the rains bring down the roof on the final night. Mboya is not done yet.
Bold satire
Long-standing theatre companies like Heartstrings Productions and Igiza Players continued their streak. In October, Igiza produced “Flight 1963”, a bold political satire which depicts Kenya in its post-independence journey, through a symbolic flight in which the captains steer the plane and the citizens are the passengers.
On symbolism, who can forget the timing of Sarafina, Mbongeni Ngema’s brilliant classic performed by the Nairobi Performing Arts (NPA) Studio in August this year, its message resonating with event happenings in Kenya and oddly mirroring the Gen Z protests held in June around the country.
Still, on messaging, themes like alcoholism were tackled by Liquid Art's performance in March, post-traumatic stress disorder in Irene Mungai’s Unmarried and mental health from Millaz Theatre Group’s staging of Backstreet 2.
Ian Mbugua and Dr Julisa Rowe put on an enthrallng show with intense emotion uncovered in the production ‘In other words’ which tackled Alzheimer's and dementia, difficult subjects for many families with ageing loved ones.
The show was special as ChemiChemi players partnered with the Alzheimers and Dementia Organisation of Kenya, which provided a space for caregivers to connect, learn and decompress.
Dr Rowe’s ChemiChemi players kept busy in 2024 with the reproduction of ‘Spread your Garment over me’, which looked at life in the Bible through women’s eyes.
It laid bare the thoughts of women like Pilate’s wife, the witch of Endor, Sarah who laughed at God’s promises and many others as imagined by Dr Rowe.
Her monologue Carnival Girl returned to the stage in March with the same production earning her the Best Female Performance in a Solo Production at this year's Kenya Theatre Awards.
Classics restaged
The classics were re-imagined and re-staged in 2024. The Greek Tragedy Antigone performed by the Nairobi Arts Studio and the farce Boeing Boeing by Braeburn Players were part of this year's fair.
A scene during the premiere of the Kenyan version of Antigone by Jean Anouilh.
Photo credit: Pool
In a display of boldness, Cooper Rust and Dance Centre Kenya (DCK) brought to Kenya for the first time Lloyd Weber’s musical interpretation of Cats, which apparently is a hit in Europe.
The cast's costumes were locally made with their feline features and cat caps handcrafted in Kenya for authenticity. DCK’s full show calendar included recitals like Coppelia and The Tales of Mother Goose before concluding the year with their highly acclaimed performance of
The Nutcracker.
On musicals, Kiota School staged their rendition of Lwanda Magere - the Legend, Banda School had Lion King while Matilda the Musical was on show at Brookhouse School’s Theatre.
Braeside School’s year 11 class were spot on with their enactment of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart on their school stage, as did Hillcrest School with High School Musical earlier in the year.
School drama
The school calendars theatrical season with the 62nd edition of the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival continues to bring out the best stage, dance and oral performances.
This year's finals held at Kangaru School and the University of Embu saw little-known Mukuuni Boys High School from Tharaka Nithi receive the ultimate prize, with perennial giants Friends School Kamusinga coming in as runners-up.
Of note was Visa Oshwal’s play The Abstract Painting which tackled the theme of inclusion. The play centred around an autistic child who struggles to convince his classmates that he is an outstanding painter and his sister who supports him over the same.
The festival, however, left many questioning the commercialisation of the event arguing that the requirements for registration and quality of costumes competing, are locking out smaller schools creating an elite club in favour of those who can manage the competition.
The year ended on a high with the 9th edition of the Kenya International Theatre Festival staged at KNT. With 16 attending countries which kicked off with a street parade in Nairobi, performances included plays, narration, music, dance and acrobatics.
John Sibi Okumu was the face of this year's edition, and he was honoured to engage with the audience in ‘An Evening with Mwalimu -Telling Our Own Story’ in which he spoke about the challenges to the Kenyan stage.
Sibi-Okumu has earned his laurels here and abroad, and this year, he was feted with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Cairo International Festival for experimental theatre.
Achebe says, “It is the storyteller who makes us what we are, who creates history. The storyteller (in our case, the playwright) creates the memory that the survivors must have, otherwise surviving their surviving would have no meaning.” May the storytellers excel and continue to give our lives more meaning in 2025.
