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Kenya: Great Easter Weekend Treat for Nairobi Theatre Enthusiasts
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The Nation (Nairobi)
COLUMN
22 March 2008
Posted to the web 21 March 2008
Kamau Mutunga
Nairobi
Easter, the most solemn ceremony in the Christian calendar, is with us once again. But its religious sobriety does not leave any pews for gaiety, unlike say, the carefree abandon that characterises the Christmas season.
Films currently showing at the cinemas - Oscar award nominated flick Juno, Charlie Wilson's War, National Treasure, American Gangster and Water Horse - have little to do with the Easter festivities. The same goes for music; save for hymns, the Easter music rack is empty - as always.
So, what does theatre have to offer?
Well, Better Pill Productions began staging Mashaka Reloaded at the Nairobi Cinema auditorium on Friday.
But even this "Easter weekend treat" that starts at 3.30pm and ends on Sunday, is a musical love story, and not about the messiah's death and resurrection.
Mashaka Reloaded is the story of Mashaka (Elizabeth Moraa), the cute young belle of Pendo (Lawrence Namale), the well-bred heir to the throne of Nauchi. Mashaka never thought she could ever have anyone like him in her life.
But her bliss is short-lived as Tabu (Edith Masika) and Pepeo (Loise Mutua), her "love doctors", throw her into emotional turmoil with advice on the unromantic face of marriage - and she begins warming up to the advances of Mtezi, the village charmer and Pendo's sworn enemy.
Better Pill is one of Nairobi's few consistent Christian theatre groups that has staged many productions such as Paul Ekuru's Operating Room, Catherine Gitu's Yours Truly, David Mulwa's Redemption and Moliere's The School for Wives and for Love's Sake, an adaptation of A physician Inspite of Himself by the same playwright.
Jimmy Gor and Ekuru are directing this play that costs Sh250 at the gate, Sh200 advance and Sh150 for students. Others in the cast are Charity Kamau, Anthony Kimani, Anthony Mwangi, Job Ochieng' and Peter Kawa as Pendo's father.
More shows continue next week at the Phoenix players where the thriller, Dead of Night- whose poor attendance was a far cry from quality of production staged - gave way to Curtain Call, a comedy by British playwright Bettine Manktelow.
Theatre lovers will also have the chance to watch this play inside Phoenix's 120-seater auditorium at the special offer of Sh300 for adults and Sh200 for students.
This, however, will only be during the comdy's opening night on Wednesday before the charges revert to normal Sh650 for non-members and Sh500 for members' guests.
Curtain Call is an adapted production that looks at an amusingly chaotic day in the life of a theatre manager before a show is staged.
For all people who watched Michael Frayn's Noises Off, that Phoenix has staged before - indeed the International School of Kenya staged it last year - might get the drift of Curtain Call that will be co-directed by Anthony Kinuthia and Eugene Oyoo till April 5.
It stars Steve Ochieng' (David Opondo), Doreta Mason (Shirleen Wangari), Ms Murdstone (Wanja Muoria), Cindy (Crystal Mbuga), Eugene (Dave Ojay) and Lulu (Liz Mulinge).
While Muoria and Ojay will be making their debut appearances at the Professional Centre, the rest of the cast is a mixture tested and very promising talent such as Mbuga, now in her forth production since appearing in Dave Freeman's, Kindly, Keep it Covered, Lutz Hubner's, Creeps and as Jennifer in, When the Cat's Away, by Festival of Creative Arts two weeks ago.
Opondoe will be making a comeback since portraying Mr. Birling in J.B Prestley's classic drama, An Inspector Calls, in March 2007, while Who Plays returns to the Phoenix since One for the Pot in December 2006. Mulinge last appeared here during the production of One for the Pot in December 2006.
Kinuthia is also reoccupying the director's mantle since directing Joe Orton's comedy, What the Butler Saw, in April last year.
Indeed, Kinuthia will not only be busy directing a farce, but also busier acting in another- Heartstrings' Husband for Breakfast on March 27-30 at the Alliance Francaise auditorium.
He will play George alongside Marvin (Daniel Ndambuki) and Jane (Aimee Ongeso) in this three-hander comedy by Ray Cooney that will cost Sh500. Victor Ber and Sammy Mwangi will direct this comedy that Heartstrings' last staged in the late 1990s at the British Council auditorium.
While Kinuthia and Ongeso are regulars in Heartstrings' shows, Ndambuki-more famous as a radio and stand-up comedian-will be making his debut with Heartstrings.
It is ages since a solo narrative was staged in a local theatre. But next month, Linus Odhiambo will present Back to Basics, a spoken-word performance blending African musical chants, dramatised recitals and percussion to tell the story of a man trafficked to Europe in search of a better life, only to become the system's slave before facing deportation.
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Back to Basics will be staged at the Alliance Francaise on April 5 for Sh300.
Odhiambo has been a thespian for the past 12 years as an actor, producer, director and designer. Indeed, he has worked with NGO Sub-Saharan Community Abroad (SACOMA) in the UK, and is currently the Kenya chapter theatre consultant.
Back to Basics will thus draw heavily its themes of human trafficking intertwined with the social problems of human rights and child abuse, greed and corruption on his experiences abroad.
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