Tarumbeta newsletter december 2016 current

D E C E M B E R

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Tarumbeta!

The Quarterly Newsletter of The Theatre Company of Kenya

DECEMBER Contents 1. To Be by Aroji Otieno

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2. Heri Kufa Macho Kuliko Kufa Moyo

by Diana Mwende

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3. Karichota Experience by Hiram Kamau

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4. In the Shadows with Jose Gichinga

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5. Kimathi’s Birthday by Mercy Dali

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6. Jason Lasky: Wanted: Supporters Who Actually Support

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7. Topical matters

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2016 Sanaa Awards Congratulations to Maina Olwenya (Best Actor) and Silvia Cassini ( Best Tragedy)

A JOYOUS FESTIVE SEASON TO ALL OUR READERS!!

DECEMBER 2016

CHRISTMAS – A TIME OF ILLUMINATION 2

DECEMBER 2016

To Be

By Aroji Otieno Coming back to this place brought back memories that had been safely locked inside my heart for quite a while. The nostalgic gush begun on my red Jialing motorbike but not with a bit of guilt, as my best friend (who has all manner of phobias) had expressed reservation over me riding for four hours to Nanyuki. These premonitions disappeared as soon as I entered Murang’a Town through Thika Road. The lively breeze brushed at my excitable face, which was safely hidden behind a red helmet. I maintained an 80 kph as I marveled at the panoramic view of inhabited green Kikuyu hills, pastoral meadows and small, enthusiastic towns set lazily by the roadside. I had always told myself that Kikuyuland is beautiful and yummy and I would like to bite it one day.

Bite it I did.

I stood next to Keith Pearson outside his simple but pristine cottage and looked over at the direction of the small stream, Karichota; the eponym of this compound we were dwelling in. I could hardly believe that it was now a decade since I first visited Karichota. Since I first met The Lady. Mumbi Kaigwa.

I must have first seen her during the call for auditions for the Performance Skills Training Program in 2006, at the Phoenix Players .

Sadly I have no visual memories of that process.

At that point in time, I hated auditions and it came as no surprise that I failed in most of them. Making it for the second call was therefore a big deal for me. With ‘2’ as my lucky number, I was certain I would get the role.

This is the moment I got to interact with The Lady at their Nairobi house, Gitara. From the get go, she had struck me as a rare jewel. We got along easily despite our differences in background. She was as distinct as an empress and yet as interactive as a long lost pal.

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DECEMBER 2016

I could hardly believe that after a decade, Karichota still maintained its freshness. The little shrub near the fishpond on the left side of the house was now as tall as any forest tree. Keith liked it and pointed out that he had always wanted the compound to feel as part of the Mount Kenya forest it was. Not a bad idea although I missed my view of the fresh woods parading under the jitterbugging stars. The singing dusk sneaked in loudly as Keith and I sat on a bed-chair outside the veranda where he gave me feedback after the reading of my new play, ‘Epic of Gor Mahia’. Karichota has a way of making you more aware of your senses; so as Keith spoke, I closed my eyes and listened keenly. I took in the soft shivery melody of the swinging chimes. The laughter of the francolins from a distance, the whistling of the Crowned Plover and the elating sight of the appearing stars. As I continued to pay close attention to Keith, I wondered if I ever appreciated this man enough.

Keith had then at the beginning of the training program introduced us to something called Yoga. He talked about its benefits to performing artists and to individual wellness. Well, I still practice it to date. The Lady had later talked about her work (including its cultural and social importance) and a quiet rested on my spirit like never before. I had never heard someone talk about his or her work in that manner. I realized that in those -four -previous years of working as an amateur artist, I had done art either for fun or for didactic reasons (which basically meant I had been competing with preachers!) But The Lady spoke of her art as though it was a soul product, a light that lit the world because it lit her first. That was the first time I realized and tasted the real power and essence of theatre as an artistic expression.

I recalled that it was here in Karichota that I discovered how to live in the moment.

To be.

The lesson was demonstrated in simple things like when Keith took me round his cottage and showed me a new purple-dotted orchid painting the earth. Or a majestic felon that we would quickly refer to the bird book for a definite explanation. Or perhaps a simple glimpse at the godly gray summit of Mt. Kenya as we did our sun salutations.

The Lady would then teach by the clear cold waters of River Burguret. She did not teach by the book, she taught from her soul. What she had, she gave to us. She danced, she politicized, she cried, she laughed, she mimed, she performed, she shared. We told our personal stories and bonded more and more.

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DECEMBER 2016 Every person became more than just a temporary work colleague to the other. We were genuinely concerned about each other’s artistic dreams and aspirations. The result: Githaa. A devised musical drama that became one of the longest running original plays in the country.

This was the kind of connection that led The Lady and I to bond in a special artistic manner. This was the first time that I stayed so lost in an artistic conversation that time stopped. I remember a time when I met her over a cup of tea to discuss a project at the Sarit at 11.30 am. We started sharing … and when we looked at the watch again it was 5.00pm! We even asked a waiter to confirm that indeed five hours had passed.

By the time I stopped working for The Theatre Company of Kenya in 2010, Keith and I had already trained about two hundred practitioners across East Africa. The fact that he was still training and nurturing got me wondering how many more he had trained. How many more received this new beginning as artistes and what that did to them in terms of the quality of their lives.

I also wondered about The Lady’s influence and what impact it had made across the globe.

I wondered how it would feel like to share creative views with her over tea again.

I realized more than seven years had passed since I spoke with The Lady. Of course we have exchanged niceties once in a while whenever we bumped into each other. But I have never told her how much I appreciate her work and how much she and Keith influenced my school of thought that would later define my persona as human being. Of course the loud voice behind my back screams at me saying: Call her! Then I go but…but…

I realize how much many beautiful moments in life pass so quickly and some may never be recreated.

So I close my eyes as Keith speaks, and the chimes sing, and the francolin laughs and I listen keenly with all my senses.

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DECEMBER 2016

Heri Kufa Macho Kuliko Kufa Moyo.

Working with Jukwaa Arts

by Diana Mwende This is for those who find beauty in creation of original pieces and to those who do not know they create, beauty lies in doing it.

As part of the Performance Lab activities, supported by TTC (The Theatre Company) I joined the cast of Wife for Sale with Jukwaa Arts. I was not only a cast member for the play Wife For Sale but to also work on project with the help of Mr. John Wasonga (the Coastal Regional Manager).I had a problem with weaving my thoughts together to create text but it’s from this lovely experience with Anthony Mbithi, John Wasonga and the cast that my piece changed from the story of a woman trying to protect her child by hiding the child’s true identity from her husband and the society simply because the child was an hermaphrodite and the society considered it an abomination and such were killed to the that of the child’s journey from birth, his childhood, the revelation of the truth to his father after the kid runs away from a circumcision ceremony after he decides to embrace his feminine side.

The creation process was tight because the cast I worked with in the play was the same I was working with on my project but they were thrilled in the story and time wasn’t a problem. The 1st week was more of gathering stories from what guys thought about the hermaphroditic condition , people they knew or met with this condition and from what angle could this be viewed from in terms of creation. We discovered that as much as the hardest part of this condition was when one was applying for an Identity Card and finding a spouse but the untold side was how was their childhood like and how hard the blow was to the parents in terms of introducing the baby to friends and family.

The 2nd week was spent with Anthony Mbithi , a writer, director and performer who helped largely in weaving my thoughts to text .Characters were named in the African Traditional System where a name was given to a person to remind them of their sole purpose in the world , Mwende was for example given to meant ‘’the beloved’’ which meant this character was to spread love and be kind.

The script is out ,I will share it out ,feel free to share support of any kind.

The 3rd week was clouded with performances, I had two shows with KenGen on the importance of Team work, respect of different cultures at work and gender equality at work places. This was a success as it got us yet another performance for them at Pride Inn Shanzu , this was their family day. On the 18th ,19th and 20th of November at the Little Theatre Club ,we performed Wife For Sale thanks to The Nation Media, The Theatre Company, Crown Paints, Modern Coast ,Baraka FM and the audience who made it possible. The audience turn up was amazing for the three days and thanks to KenGen who came to the rescue by bringing back lights on the 19th after we experienced a blackout 5 mins to the show.

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DECEMBER 2016

The theatre Company Performance Laboratory : Karichota Experience

By Hiram Kamau

The serenity, peace and calm of the place was amplified by its naturally environment; a conducive environment for any creative.

We got to meet the 6 performers and one John Wasonga (the TTC Coast Representative) , a very creative and intelligent theatre professional.

Personally, I got to interact with Eric Wanyama - who is doing a project on the Mau Mau and Dedan Kimaathi. Our general discussions about the topic brought some new information to light where we both exchanged knowledge on the spiritual and organizational life of the Mau Mau soldiers.

This also triggered some interest (amongst the performers) in an upcoming commemoration and spiritual expedition scheduled for 31st October (Kimaathi’s Birthday). I shared with Wanyama a rare text containing some information about the Mau which he found useful towards the completion of his project. (See accompanying story by Mercy Dali about the birthday celebration.)

We also got to interact with the group in their scheduled activities relating to performance, fitness and creativity.

There was definitely a lot to learn from them as we shared CHAGA – “THE DIAMOND OF THE CHAGA – “THE DIAMOND OF THE our abstract views on creative writing and performance.

FOREST” FOREST” We brainstormed at times and explored some functions of In one of our expeditions through the forest to programming experienced through the activity of stage In one of our expeditions the forest river Burguret, we spotted athrough lot of Chaga performances, casting, context etc. to name but a few. to river Burguret, we spotted a lot of Chaga Mushroom growing on most the olive trees There was a regular change of environment in these Mushroom growing on most the olive trees found in that section of the forest. We did not found in that section of the forest.

We didThe learning experiences where we did nature walks into the hesitate to carry some back to the cottage. not hesitate carry someare back to the by the forest and spontaneously settled at creatively favorable benefits of thistomushroom magnified cottage.

The benefits of this mushroom type of tree they grow on .ie mostly birchare trees. spots where we would carry out the discussions and magnified by the type of tree they grow on performance activities. Some discussions really drew me .ie mostly trees. mushrooms has a Human usebirch of medicinal closer to related works such as script writing and film Human use of medicinal mushrooms has long history, and the valuable medicines of a long history, and the valuable medicines of making. Also, the fun and games incorporated in the mushrooms are a vital element in protecting mushrooms are a vital element in protecting sessions made the experience very lively and productive. our health. our health.

Another Yoga professional Ciro G joined us and took us Whatisismost mostfascinating fascinatingininthe theexploration explorationof What through the practice of Ashtanga Yoga which was a of the healing benefits of medicinal the healing benefits of medicinal mushrooms is definite highlight in our experience. The sessions in mushrooms is that they arerelated in facttoclosely that they are in fact closely human relatedWhen to human beings.

When human general were good for not only the body but the soul as beings. human beings consume these beings consume mushrooms, they are well. mushrooms, they these are ingesting highly ingesting highly absorbable medicinal absorbable medicinal constituents that are Our host Keith Pearson was keen on each individual’s constituents that are recognized by the recognized by the human body. achievement from yoga, meditations to the creative human body. projects. Hospitality accorded by him and his staff was alsoknown knownasasthe the“Treasured “TreasuredMushroom ItItisisalso Mushroom of Immortality” or Reishi amazing and we are grateful for the experience. of Immortality” or Reishi (Ganoderma (Ganoderma Theuse history of the Lucidum).

TheLucidum). history of the of Reishi use of Reishi goes back many thousands goes back many thousands of years in the of years in theChinese orient, herbal and Chinese herbal orient, and medicine has medicine has valued Reishi above other valued Reishi above all other herbalall medicines! herbal medicines!

They called it the “The They called it the “The Great Protector” and GreatHerb Protector” “The Herb of Good “The of Goodand Fortune”.

Fortune”.

~ Hiram Kamau

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DECEMBER 2016

In the shadows With jose gichinga

The world was covered with darkness…and he said let there be light and at once there was light.

Light was the first creation maybe this is the reason why light is so important in performance, lighting on its own is a performance. The fading in, fading out and using gels to create days and nights, realities and dreams of the acts on stage is very magical. With light comes a shadow, the one thing that lots of performers always want to rid off, hours are spent setting the lights well to avoid shadows and holes, for me I find them interesting they are our closest friends, with lack of light they disappear and goes back to where they belong and that is inside you. With strong light you get powerful shadows, people shadows always fascinates the beliefs and myths around them are always interesting. I remember when I was a child my mother would always warn me when I am playing with my shadow; she always said that it would make me pee on bed or go crazy. The myth about Lwanda Magere who could not be killed with weapons but died when his shadow was cut is a narration of how shadows are seen in the African culture. That the shadow of the body is not the shadow of the body but the body of the soul and it has life. In the western Kenya, Nyanza, some people believe that a dead person cannot have a shadow and if he has one then it was not a natural death and the person who caused it is near. With this I started experimenting with shadows in Nakuru to see what madness would come out of it, letting the light of my madness shine, and it suddenly dawn on me that madness is not to be despised and not to be feared, but instead one should give it life... I got the chance to see the shadows living and communicating with the audience, I staged the first show in Churchill show on the road edition Nakuru and the audience could not believe watching a whole dance piece done with shadows. The first challenge I got was to reach the feelings of the people watching it, after several shows I created a piece that was performed at Legacy Hotel and I got what I really wanted, reaching the souls, when the show ended part of the audience was literally crying seeing those tears dripping made me experiment more with is.

Have you ever imagined how the world would look if there were no shadows? Night time is only but a shadow. To me a shadow portrays the dark side of us for if you are in the light you must have a shadow, the light makes the audiences want to see your facial expression, in shadows or in silhouettes it’s more of making them feel by moving their souls this is the hardest part of dance to express through our bodies without faking it with the “plastic smile” that is encouraged by choreographers and directors for the sake of winning competitions or pleasing clients. In shadows you have to deepen your brush in your soul so as to paint the dance to the person watching you.

The Theatre Company trains you to go beyond your imagination and most importantly beyond acting, the trainings encourages you to perform, to be in the moment, to understand the situation and not just doing it for the sake of performing for money. When I am teaching dance I try to encourage the performers to create pieces with direction and focus, always considering the 5w.

The dance competitions are the ones to be strict with these things but sadly most of them are here to make the organizers richer and not really focus on the main thing which is dance. The Theatre Company trainings offer opportunities for dancers and actors to rediscover themselves, to freely share their shadows with the world.

“I am interested in art as a means of living a life; not as a means of making a living.” ~Robert Henri 8

DECEMBER 2016

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DECEMBER 2016

Kimathi’s birthday By mercy dali The first time I heard of him, or rather came across his name, was back in my primary school level when I studied him as the leader of the Mau Mau freedom fighters. Then from time to time the name has flashed on our screen and news papers severally but I feel we are yet to own him and the heroic role he played in the struggle for independence, (unclear) the way only fellow veterans continue to eulogize him. Kimathi wa Waciuri heroically known as Dedan Kimathi was born on October 31st 1920 in Karunaini village, Tetu constituency.

96 years since his existence His 96th birthday is a day to remember is a day to remember because on this day my fellow performance Laboratory and I members got the chance to attend his the birthday anniversary which was held deep in the Nyandarua forest in Kahigaini, Nyeri County, where he was shot on his right leg right before he was captured. On this special day Dedan Kimathi's disciples, friends and fellow freedom fighters, including field marshal Muthoni Kirima (or 'nyina wa thonjo' a name known only by the Mau Mau freedom fighters) graced the occasion with pride, joy laughter and tears of how their hero had been forgotten.

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DECEMBER 2016

The event started at around 11am with first hand stories of the struggle for independence told by field marshal Muthoni Kirima. She had been the right hand woman for Dedan Kimathi and the treasurer of the Mau Mau where her work was to keep account of their resources, a register of their members which consisted of their whereabouts, movements and activities that also helped them with monitoring the immortality rate of their members and accountability to their families in case death occurred. She spoke with so much pride and boldness until tears stated rolling down her wrinkled cheeks on remembering how the (re-write to clarify) books in the Mau Mau caves a hideout only known by the Mau Mau members were found by the British Army, an act she describes as the highest level of betrayal she has ever seen, the bitterness and pain she was speaking with connected to almost everyone on sight and the whole ceremony turned into a mourning occasion for a couple of minutes.

The field marshal, a couple of elders and a very energetic woman who held the title “Queen of the Mountain� (whose work is relaying messages to the people from the god of mount Kirinyaga) then conducted prayers asking for blessings and protection from Ngei.

The ceremony could not end without the planting of the sacred Mugumo tree at the site as it is believed by the Agikuyu to be a symbol of holy ground. This was followed by the pouring of honey and water on the seedling as a way of blessing it. Songs, percussion and dance (any names?) brought the event to an end as people could bow and leave at their own pleasure. Surely Dedan Kimathi is gone but never forgotten.

"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees" by Dedan Kimathi

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DECEMBER 2016

Become a friend of the Theatre Company of Kenya!

We are grateful to those who help theatre thrive throughout the wonderful country of Kenya.

Why not join the group, and help us to make fabulous theatre and training happen around the country?

Gold level supporters $10,000 per year Silver level supporters $5,000 per year Bronze level supporters $1,000 per year Contact Managing Director Joshua Mwai for details of how to make your covenant.

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DECEMBER 2016

Wanted: Supporters Who Actually Support

By Jason Lasky I came to Kenya to teach drama at an international school, but what I’m really here to do is to observe another slice of life after the previous year’s movements around the world (this is the third continent we’ve reached) and distill those real-life encounters, experiences, and extravaganzas into something that could possibly be classified as comedic, dramatic, or a mixture of those two luscious genres. I’m a playwright, the newest in Nairobi, whose work has been produced on three continents and published in the US. I’ve also got a new one-act play that forecasts America’s future in a two-hander showdown between a half-blind dolt lugging around a garbage can and a hermit woman living in a garbage heap. It premiers next month at The Secret Theatre’s Act One: One Act Festival in New York City, and it’s titled Last Exit Before You’re Off The Grid.

So what have I observed in terms of theatre since coming to this patch of Earth? I unfortunately haven’t been able to see any shows, so I can’t comment on production values, venues, actors, directors, technical aspects, etc. That being said, I recently made an attempt with a small group of local actors and producers , who shall remain anonymous, to stage a play in Nairobi. Last year the US’s national theater organization- Theatre Communications Group- awarded my wife and I their On the Road grant to support a cultural, artistic and information exchange in Russia that will lead to a new full-length play, 40 Days of Night. Nothing like that grant program exists in Kenya, and so artists have to self-produce, which is always tough (Oh, how I know!). The venues we approached in Nairobi said they supported the arts, but then said we had to pay for the space, and in the case of one venue, had to cover the costs of the stage, sound and lights ourselves. How is this supporting the arts? I fully understand the desire to make money, but if someone says let’s partner up, that doesn’t mean those bringing the show need to bear such a financial risk.

The bigger picture is that there is no major infrastructure in place to support the homegrown theatre artist’s evolution, that even with Lupita Nyong'o's Hollywood breakthrough there has not been a response so far in terms of funding for creating quality theatre schools with quality teachers (outside of The Theatre Company, of course). I don’t mean those highly experienced, fully-qualified, licensed teachers in the international schools, but, rather, a real centre supported with government funding and private donations for the performing arts where all things theatre-making can be learned. This requires quality investments.

Refurbishing the National Theatre is an investment, but funding the schooling and skill-building of a national theatre troupe is a better one.

BIO Jason Lasky is a playwright, actor, director and teacher. He is an alumnus of the Actors Studio Drama School MFA Playwriting program and the founder of J. Lasky Productions, a performance company dedicated to international collaborations. His play Rendezvous: A Tragicomedy, co-authored with his wife Svetlana and presented at Shanghai LGBT’s Pride 6, was the first English-language play addressing transgendered identity in mainland China. He has been publicized internationally, most recently in ITIinfo magazine. Jason currently lives with his family in Nairobi, Kenya. www.jasonlasky.com www.40daysofnight.strikingly.com Please get in touch!

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DECEMBER 2016

Wanted: Supporters Who Actually Support (continued) Several people in the community who have been around the theatre scene for years kept bringing up this topic: what is lacking in the country is theater training. Funding for creating talented artists needs to be available in the country for all levels of society. Programs for training abroad or bringing the training home is a worthwhile endeavor. I suppose with next year's impending election, however, the performing arts may not be on the “new business” section of the quarterly agenda.

Kenya is an inspiring country, and it’s too bad there is no major funder for harnessing that inspiration on stage. Theatre, that live art of human conflict, deserves a better life in this country.

As for me, I’m going to keep observing, keep writing, and keep playing my part as best as I can. My short time here has already proved illuminating, and despite any bumps in the road that can and will occur, I can’t wait to bring my new work to life here.

BIO Jason Lasky is a playwright, actor, director and teacher. He is an alumnus of the Actors Studio Drama School MFA Playwriting program and the founder of J. Lasky Productions, a performance company dedicated to international collaborations. His play Rendezvous: A Tragicomedy, co-authored with his wife Svetlana and presented at Shanghai LGBT’s Pride 6, was the first English-language play addressing transgendered identity in mainland China. He has been publicized internationally, most recently in ITI-info magazine. Jason currently lives with his family in Nairobi, Kenya. www.jasonlasky.com www.40daysofnight.strikingly.com Please get in touch!

Tarumbeta! The Theatre Company newsletter What is it?

Our intention is to have a mouthpiece for performance projects, groups and ideas from practitioners working throughout the region.

If you have an idea to explore, or a project to publicise, there is a space for you.

The newsletter reaches approximately 2,000 readers.

The next edition will be prepared in February, 2017.

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DECEMBER 2016

Topical Matters (1) A quick round up of What’s Going On in the Performance World in Kenya 2016 SANAAA THEATRE AWARDS A Man Like You nominated for 7 awards in 44 categories.

JC Niala is looking for actors and a pyrotechnician for a performance piece in Nairobi in December 2017. Auditions are to be held in April 2017. It is a verbatim theatre production aimed at stimulating local climate action. The performance will be for CBOs, local and international NGOs, local and national government. It is a good opportunity for those wishing to learn more about verbatim theatre and how to work with it as a training workshop will be included for all those who take part. For more information or to book an audition slot email JC on kenyaosteopath@gmail.com with a biography, recent works and a short statement about why you would like to be involved in the project. Please note that actors of all ages and races are welcome.

SANAA THEATRE AWARDS 2016 LIST OF NOMINEES Best Actor • Maina Olwenya Best Director • Silvia Cassini, 'A Man like You' Best Playwright • Silvia Cassini, 'A Man like You' Best Production • A Man Like You Best Tragedy • A Man Like You Best Play in English • A Man Like You Best Production on Governance and Human Rights • A Man Like You

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DECEMBER 2016

Topical Matters (2) NAIROBI PERFORMING ARTS STUDIO are proud to announce that REGISTRATION for their JANUARY 2017 INTAKE is now open for the following courses: Theatre & Film Acting Theatre, Modern Dance & Hip Hop Voice Training & Performance Production Course - Includes world-class productions at Kenya National Theatre.

SEMESTER BEGINS 10th JANUARY. For enquiries email us at info@npastudio.co.ke or call us on 0795 715200. Or send your contact details and they will get back to you asap.

SANAA PONYEVU Following on from our highly successful and thrilling project with the Naromoru Disabled Children's Home in 2012, Sanaa Ponyevu, led by Leonidah Nanjala, we are happy to confirm we shall be continuing the project next year with our very dear, long-term partners, Special Education Professionals.

The project for next year will be based around Nairobi, and we are looking for a small team of enthusiastic, self-motivated, creative performers who would be able to work with therapists to create a community performance project with special needs kids based in a local primary school.

The work will be part time throughout most of next year. If this project interests you, please write to us expressing why you think you would be a good team member and why your qualities and experience would help you make a valuable contribution to this project.

Leonidah has started a company, Tema Creations, based in Tudor, Mombasa, working with children through creative therapy. To read the Daily Nation feature on her work, please go to : http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/saturday/Healing-through-theatre-and-dance/-/1216/3255306//1aoiokz/-/index.html

Wanjau’s Famous MauMau Statue taken down by bulldozer: See Margaretta’s story – http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/… /539444-3479…/index.html.

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DECEMBER 2016

Topical Matters (3) Focus on Kisiwa festival By john wasonga

KISIWA FESTIVAL by John Wasonga The Little Theatre Club will finally heave a sigh of relief having hosted the first ever Kisiwa Festival. This is because this particular festival had been postponed for three years in a row due to unavoidable circumstances. I will highlight a few performances that caught the eyes of the audiences. The event ran for a week between 5th to 10th December 2016 and saw amazing performances from Kisumu’s Yawa Dancers and Ages Dancers and a few Mombasa artists wowing the audiences with their unique performances.

YAWA DANCERS Their story telling dance form with an African beat was original. They told of love and betrayal fusing mime, dance, and acrobatics in their performance. The performances which were weaved into each other seamlessly left the audience yearning for more. Their two day appearance in the festivals was a big chunk of the event.

AGES DANCERS As the name would suggest, ages is a traditional dance group which only does African dance and beats.

Without the use of recorded beats, Ages which consists of about twenty four members manages to recreate original African dances from across the continent. On their second day in Mombasa, they went on the beach for a practice session which was so powerful that it pulled crowds from around the beach. This got the attention of the entertainment manager at Reef Hotel who contracted them for a performance that same evening.

Other Performances during the Festivals included:Dee the Poet Ohms Law Montana Neo the Band Wafuasi Theatre from Voi Swahili Pot poets St Marys Changamwe Daddy the Dancer He will go down history as the best performance of the festivals. With his unique break dance style of storytelling, Daddy has perfected his moves so well that the audience feels it’s like magic. The self taught dancer’s performance in the Kisiwa Festival was a testimony that Mombasa is a force to reckon with.

During the festivals, The Theatre Company facilitated theatre and dance workshops. The dance workshop was facilitated by Fernando Anwang’a and the Theatre workshops by Peter Mbugua.

Due to low publicity of the event, the turnout of the audience was poor considering it was a free event. The whole five days recorded one thousand attendees, far lower than the projected ten thousand.

Yawa Dance Company

Ages Dance Company

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About The Theatre Company of Kenya Board Members Muthoni Garland Nick Moon Gakuo Ndirangu Staff Keith Pearson Joshua Mwai John Wasonga Joseph Gichinga Associate Directors 2016 Silvia Cassini Martin Kigondu Vibeke Muasya Associate Directors 2017 Are you one?

Get Busy!

Do you want to be involved with TTC as a performer, workshop participant, production staff member or even as a fundraising board member?

Get in touch with Joshua right away! (Joshua.mwai@gmail.com)

The Theatre Company of Kenya Tel: (+254) 722 815 112/ 722 935 417 Skype: Karichota1 We are very grateful to the DOEN Foundation for the fantastic support for our work.

Without you, we wouldn’t be “DOEN” this!