The month of May is famous for several things. May is a mental health awareness month, and it is when people remind each other of the importance of taking care of one another to prevent mental ill-health. May is famous for Mother's Day celebrations. May has been filled with unforgettable creations spanning orchestras, solo theatrical performances, and riveting ensembles in the Kenyan performance art scene. The following are shows that have already left indelible marks in the hearts and minds of the audiences so far.
1. Love. Liberty Concert by Nairobi Music Society
The Nairobi Music Society serenaded its audience for the last two days of April at the Kenya National Theatre's main auditorium. Conducted by Levy Wataka, Love Liberty featured a medley of songs with different themes, including spirituality, protest, revolution, love, sacredness, and hard work. The night's highlight was the duet piece performed by Caleb as the lead soloist. Caleb was accompanied by Tania Tawk.
The entire orchestra backed up this duet, and the result was a magical, trance-like performance that left the audience chanting out for an encore of the same piece. Even after wrapping the show, Levi Wataka had to call his entire orchestra back on stage, just for one more time of this enthralling performance served in tantalizing operatic voices and melodic brass and woodwind instruments. Nairobi Music Society is a blessing to the performing arts space, thanks to their chairman, Francis Oludhe-Macgoye. The pieces performed include Senzenina, a South African protest song, Villager’s Chorus from Gioachino Rossini’s opera William Tell, Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves by Giuseppe Verdi Verdi’s Nabucco (1841), Fidelio, the Prisoner’s Chorus, The Lord is My Shepherd by Franz Peter Schubert, Dunia ya Rero, a Giriama tune arranged by I. Kinyanjui and E. Mbinji. Other medley of songs included Ngulo: A traditional Kikamba song arranged by Boniface Mganga, Singo Jadolo, Dr, Henry Wanjala’s Kokoliko, Nimerudi Mashambani by Zalo, Anvil Chorus, Habanera, Faniculi Funicula, Brindisi, Let’s Do It, and the thriller, Song for the Mira. The orchestra brought together two music powerhouses, the NMS Choir and Nairobi Orchestra. We cannot wait for the next performance by Nairobi Music Society in June, this year. Thank you so much, Francis Oludhe-Macgoye and your talented team.
2. A star is born, and a star explodes into a Supernova
Martin Kigondu is one of the few actors with the audacity to stage solo acts. In his recent one-person act Supernova, Kigondu takes us on a personal journey of what it means for a first-time father to lose his young daughter. It is a fragile piece that explores a young man's life going through experiences, learning, messing, and reforming. Martin weaves through the story by telling it poignantly and honestly. Kigondu grips the audience by the throat from the beginning when he explains how the
character obtained his name Frank, his childhood as an ever-inquisitive boy, the relationship between the boy and the father after they lose their mum, and how he maneuvers life through college and finally meeting a girlfriend-turned wife with whom they have a daughter. The character's wife suffers post-partum depression that causes disintegration in their marriage. After giving birth to their daughter, Frank's wife isolates herself from her husband. When their only daughter dies, things fall apart for Frank. He goes through marital loss, material loss, child loss and emotional damage caused by grieving his once a beaming baby girl. Martin presents the intersectionality of a man immersed in this ever-demanding society. In the final act, when he cannot take the painful truth of the loss of his daughter and family, Frank breaks down. It is at this moment of catharsis that the entire auditorium remains still. No one is sure of whether to expect more, get up and leave or remain there and listen to their awakened monsters. Furthermore, Martin's costume design and scenery complement his piece. He should work on his transitions between the acts because he took a lot of time to change the set and scenery. The long act breaks might take an audience out of the piece, and bringing them back can be a slow process. That notwithstanding, it is such a great show. The good news is that Supernova will still make reruns.
From the Battlefield into the Backstreet
Four friends meet at their favorite joint, Kare's bar, to wind down the memories of their fifth minion, an ex-militant whom they have just buried. The only memorabilia of their friend that they hold onto at this moment is his portrait photo. Unknown to them, their friend is alive, and his death was a ploy by his father to ensure that the police stop tracing his son after he killed a man during a brawl in a bar when he had gone drinking with his friend and their errands boy, Freddie. Millaz production caused a wave with this performance. It is so multilayered, addressing significant issues such as PTSD among military men, infidelity, friendship, alcoholism, abortion and post-partum stress endured by mothers.
I must give credit to Saumu Kombo and Emmanuel Chindia, the writers and directors of the play. Kombo and Chindia have proved that indeed, creatives can collaborate and produce such a beautiful and impactful piece. The co-writers and co-directors present a nuanced piece, Backstreet, highlighting a couple of issues that affect the millennials and Gen Zers today, including mental health, body dysmorphia and love interests. By the time we arrive at the final act, we have gone deep into the story. One phenomenon that holds Backstreet together is the character of Ude, an alcoholic banker whose friends think she is living a hopeless, junkie life. Still, Ude puts everyone in their space by affirming that although she is an alcohol addict, she is responsible, pays her bills, and takes care of her friends, including helping them financially. What is beautiful about Backstreet stage play is the synchronicity of all the issues presented . One moment we are served various aspects of war, men who are going to war, women at war with their bodies, boys at war with their fathers for complicated father-son relationships, social media pressures, and the nect moment, our ribs are aching for laughing out the loudest.
There are a couple of unforgettable moments in this play, driven by skilled actors, including Faiz Francis, Aswani Ken, the ladies playing Ude, and Kare, aka "Pink panther." Apart from appropriate and entertaining acting, the set design is incredible and complements the themes in the piece. The choice that the set designer made by placing the bar on stage was brilliant. The designer, Brian Irungu, paid attention to the principles of balance and harmony. The lighting was deliberate especially for the abortion scene that creates the somber mood when a life is lost, and the mother is left shattered in painful memories. Several mini-stories in the play were well crafted, but we were only given a piece of them.
The co-directors need to make more intentional decisions on which aspects of the stories are told and not choose several but leave them unexplored. Moreover, the actors need also to make deliberate choices and commit, especially those whose characters are multilayered. Good job to Saumu and Emanuel,the actors, the set designer, and the entire Millaz crew. We can only expect more.
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