Drama festival kicks off with thriller pieces

Precious Blood Riruta narrating a choral verse ‘Misongosongo’ on socio-economic and health impacts of boda boda use by female students.
[PHOTOs: GEORGE ORIDO/STANDARD]

By GEORGE ORIDO

Nyeri, Kenya: The 55th edition of the Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival opened on Monday at Kagumo Teachers College and Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls’ School in Nyeri with students presenting their best in theatre and dance.

The participants  turned up in quintessential costumes, props and matters stagecraft.

A warm sunny morning was promising as the day started well with the programme beginning on time.

“I came here to showcase my best but also interact with many students from all parts of the country,” said Faith Sunguti, a Form Four student at Butere Girls High School.

She went ahead to perfrom in their play The manuscript scripted by Francis Wanyika, Caroline Okumu and produced by Dora Okaalo.

Shackles of Doom

Last year, she and her schoolmates had no time to interact with the rest after they arrived just a day before their performance due to a ban of their play Shackles of Doom that was later lifted and saw them get position five.

Yesterday, Butere Girls moved the audience with their play that depicts an independent African State that is caught in the web of acrimony after developing new economic ties with the newly emerging economy in the East. This is all at the expense of long established relationship with Western economic powers.

With Stacy Owango as Princess, Gloria Wanyama as King, Ammy Ruth Wamboi as Queen and Eve Madara, they made a perfect impression of their characters as consummate storytelling brigade.

Presenting modern dance for the first time ever at the festival, Aquinas High School from Nairobi thrilled  the audience with their Split Personality piece.

In a well-choreographed Sakata-type formation and movements, the dance depicts a young student torn between talent and pursuit for academic excellence.

While the parents want him to concentrate in class work, the young man finds pleasure in music and dance.

Somewhat he succeeds in his pursuit and becomes a celebrity earning from the sweat of his brow. He wins back his parents’ favour.

But in exploring the gullibility of Kenyans of everything that looks gold, St Mary’s Yala moved the audience with a solo verse, Of Quails and wails.

Produced by J Awiti and directed by Shikuku Shitubi, the solo actor Gadwill Odhiambo persuasively used the quail phenomena that hit Kenya lately as a metaphor to make a heavy issue light.

The audience was kept on the edge of their seats when Precious Blood Riruta presented a high-octane Kiswahili choral verse Misongosongo.

The verse directed by Esther Mokae and Benjamin Ondara is the most critical look yet at the negative socio-economic and health impact of motorcycles used for public transport popularly known as boda boda.

The trilogy of a female student who has to bear with close body proximity to a strange and mature male rider, demands for sexual favours in exchange for free rides and consequences of these exploits, including contracting sexually transmitted diseases along the way, was well delivered.

Led by Josephine Njoki, Joy Gathoni and Kelly Nyaboke, the cast was powerful in a rendition defined by clear diction, synchronised co-ordination and functional costumes.

And in exploring the theme of Celebrating our Diversity for National Unity, Kapkenda Girls’ High School did not miss the rare opportunity to draw Luo and Kalenjin cultural sources for their dance Kimi Kibagenge.

The dance is a narration of young attractive Kalenjin who falls in love with a male Luo colleague and they present their intentions to consummate their love in marriage. The girl’s parents rebuff the idea based on tribal idiosyncrasy.

Well, she follows her heart, a move that heightens tension between the two communities.

Blood transfusion

A war begins and the girl’s father is critically injured — and only blood transfusion can save him.

But for his special blood, no one can get a matching blood group but his rejected son-in-law’s. He has to accept blood from the latter to survive!

Others who performed include Wareng High School with a hilarious comedy Watching the Watchman, St Mary’s Girls High School Egoji with a play Shepherds of Lamb, and Moi Girls High Nairobi with Darling Dolly.