Echoes of war, Miss Understood, Foolish Forties: Inside plays that defined theatre in 2025

An animated cover showing Echoes of War, a controversial play scripted by Cleophas Malala for Butere Girls High School Echoes of War On April 10, students of Butere Girls High School entered the Melvin Jones Hall at Kirobon Girls High School for an expected performance of Echoes of War, scripted and directed by Cleophas Malala. But the hall was nearly empty, with only adjudicators. The police barred students, journalists, and members of the public from the hall, as the performing students were scheduled to stage the play. Also, there were no cameras in the hall, as the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development and the media were asked to leave. A heavy police presence armed with batons and tear gas canisters was around the venue, and Malala, also a former senator, had been detained at a police station. Butere Girls students protest in Nakuru during the 63rd edition of the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival on April 10,2025. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] Seeing this, the Butere Girls High School students sang the national anthem on the podium and immediately walked out. They protested, demanding the release of Malala, who, in the previous evening, had been prohibited from being at their rehearsal, hours before their performance. Tear gases were hurled at them. The general public, including human rights defenders, parents, and opposition leaders, warned against state censorship. Leaders questioned Malala's involvement in student productions instead of leaving teachers to do the task. They accused him of using students to fight political rivals, a man who was a renowned dramatist before he became a politician. By this time, the public was curious to know the contents of the play, and the playwright shared the script. It became a cultural phenomenon and a call for freedom of artistic expression. Echoes of War centres on bad governance and lawlessness. It is set in a fictional kingdom in the Middle East where the youth want to take back control of their land from bad leadership. The royal ruler, the Sultan, exerts his power to stop a young activist, Mustafa, from using social media to speak up against bad governance. The battles between the young people and the police in the play materialised in real life. Malala was later released without charge and said that the production will be brought to the national stage with adult performers. In the Name of the Father Over the Easter weekend, a play with a simple title left the audience aghast. In the Name of the Father was presented by the KCA University fourth-year students of Theatre & Film Technology, through the drama outfit Kenda Creatives, founded by Marichu Muturi, who is also the play's director and scriptwriter. The play, In the Name of the Father, performed at Woodcreek School Theatre [Courtesy] Staged at the Woodcreek School Theatre, the play explored cultism, the psychology of cult leaders, mass manipulation, and religious exploitation inspired by the real events of the Shakahola massacre. Pastor Amos (played by Shatem Omar) uses the scripture to manipulate congregants for financial gain as they live in abject poverty. The play, In the Name of the Father, performed at Woodcreek School Theatre [Courtesy] The climax starts to unfold when the pastor urges them to leave modern life and retreat into a forest for salvation. There, they are starved, and one day the pastor visits to tell them to sacrifice their children to pave the way for salvation. The pastor asks his most loyal follower, Neema (played by Kirsten Gakii), who shocked the audience by abiding. This moving scene happens in the midst of a fellow congregant, Anita (Namalwa Njoroge), loudly begging her to stop as live singing by Gilda Odongo and Beth Odie filled the space with complete horror. The Last Spear of the Nandi Days leading up to the staging of the Last Spear of the Nandi, a historical play about spiritual leader Koitalel Arap Samoei, the Koitalel family issued a demand letter to stop it. The letter, signed by Albert Kiprop, who identified himself as a family spokesperson, demanded that the play be halted until the family reviewed the script. The family asked for 30 per cent of gross proceeds from ticket sales, sponsorships, and any other income to go to the Koitalel Arap Samoei Family Heritage Trust and at least 10 youth from the Koitalel lineage or the wider Nandi community in the production and promotion of the play. Last Spear of the Nandi, a play staged at the Kenya National Theatre [Courtesy] At the time, it surprised director and playwright Derrick Waswa of Dorion Production when he revealed that he had consulted the family when working on the play, and he had complied with their suggestions of highlighting Koitalel's wives, his brother, and the family's flight after his assassination in 1905. As the thespians were making final preparations for the staging of the play, these demands brought to the fore who owns the stories of historical figures. Believing that stories of national heroes belong to all Kenyans and do not require family approval, he went ahead to put on the play at the Kenya National Theatre (KNT) in August to a sold-out auditorium, as Nandi County government officials sought to intervene. The stalemate ended when the play was staged once again at the Koitalel Arap Samoei University College, Mosoriot Campus, in November, presented by the County Government of Nandi. Miss Understood Days before Mother's Day, actor Makena Kahuha stunned the audience with an honest play about her relationship with her mother, Esther Kahuha. Both are actors, but what would seemingly be a harmonious relationship between the two would have bumps. Miss Understood is a one-woman play starring Makena, produced by Esther, written by Simiyu Barasa and directed by Nice Githinji. Miss Understood, a play by Makena Kahuha at the Kenya National Theatre [Courtesy] Makena uses her real name in the play, which explores mother-daughter conflicts, the differing approaches to life between Gen Z and millennials, societal pressures, the struggle between modernity and tradition, and identity. She is on a no-holds-barred mission with this play, portraying the unfiltered approach synonymous with Gen Z. She narrates her misunderstandings around career, dating, and life in a fictional TikTok series titled How I Met My Mother. In her blunt and humorous reflections, she contrasts her mother's choices and her own, stating that her mother's interferences are driven by the fear that she will make the same mistakes as her. Miss Understood, a play by Makena Kahuha at the Kenya National Theatre [Courtesy] The character also shows the positive attributes of Gen Z, like advocating for good governance as seen in the recent protests, and counters the perception of the young generation as reckless and lazy. Towards the end of the play, she empathises with her mother and advocates for dialogue between mothers and daughters. The play attracted a packed auditorium at the KNT in May, at Ukumbi Mdogo in June, and later at the Kenya International Theatre Festival in November. Foolish Forties One of the plays that attracted a massive turnout of women in the audience, who were dressed to the nines, was Dr Zippy Okoth's Foolish Forties. She built her online following with witty takes on her dating life and who came to see her on stage. Foolish Forties is a one-woman storytelling piece staged at the KNT in June. Foolish Forties, by Dr Zippy Okoth, at the Kenya National Theatre [Courtesy] The performance was a replica of her real-life, cheerful and honest personal musings on dating as a divorced, successful woman. In the performance, she is unapologetic about her desire to have a man by her side and to be romanced even as an accomplished woman in her 40s. The performing artist, author, theatre arts lecturer, and filmmaker scripted and directed this stage piece that became a cultural moment, as it humorously captured modern dating challenges of older women, and it became their voice. Till Age Do Us Part Larry Asego returned with a stand-up comedy show titled Till Age Do Us Part, directed by Victor Ber and produced by Krysteen Savane. The show was held at the Alliance Francaise Nairobi grounds on the evening of December 6. Larry Asego performs during his stand-up comedy show, Till Age Do Us Part, at Alliance Francaise, Nairobi [Courtesy] It was a laidback setting with a table, a seat, and a drink, and he offered his humorous perspectives on modern fatherhood, growing older, interracial relationships, and African masculinity. Picha The Kiswahili play Picha is scripted by Mohamed Komeja, and it was revived on stage for the second time by director Martin Kigondu, after its first staging at the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival in 1985. This year, it was staged at Ukumbi Mdogo in April and at the Alliance Francaise Nairobi in September. Picha, a play staged at Ukumbi Mdogo [Courtesy] The unflinching classic play moved the audience to tears and anger with timeless themes of domestic violence and infidelity. Komeja penned the play at a time of national conversations on social and gender equality and female representation, which also trickled into artistic productions. The use of the rich Kiswahili in its fluent form of rhythmic and metaphorical style was refreshing to see in the theatre. Dangerous Divas The A-list cast of Aisha Mwajumlah, Stephanie Maseki, Ann Awuor, Vique Ofula, and Deeja Omondi met on the Mombasa's Little Theatre Club stage in September. The bond among the first four women is strengthened after they lose their long-time friend Tieno (played by Omondi) to suicide. Dangerous Divas, staged at the Little Theatre Club [Courtesy] When they find her letter that revealed that she had gone through abuse, they decide to meet at a private home to address the issues that they are facing: gender-based violence, infidelity, mental health, and women's reproductive rights. Scripted and produced by Stephanie Maseki and directed by Hillary Namanje, Dangerous Divas lifts the veil off marriages of powerful people in society. Bad Girls of the Bible Bad Girls of the Bible, a religious play by Chemichemi Players, reimagines the lives of eight infamous women from the Bible. The star-studded cast had Wakio Mzenge playing Jezebel, Joyce Musoke playing Zuleika, who is widely known as Potiphar's wife, Ivy Esther playing Delilah, Lucy Kwe playing Mrs Lot, Kerri Kagiri as Sapphira, Nkatha Nkirote as Woman at the Well, Mwajuma Belle as Rahab, and Lucy Wache as Eve and The Guide. The cast of Bad Girls of the Bible, staged at Daystar University auditorium [Courtesy] The characters were placed in a fictional pre-judgement afterlife, where they confronted their pasts at a live show. The play tackled themes of identity, agency, societal judgment, and religious bias, with the Devil's Advocate (played by Mugambi Ikiara) acting as a confrontational host. Instead of submitting to shame, the women owned their narratives. The production pulled in a diverse audience, including theologians, churchgoers, and youth. Written by Yafesi Musoke and directed by Julisa Rowe, it was staged in May at Daystar University auditorium. Free Me In November, producer Gathoni Kimuyu shared her personal story of domestic violence in Free Me. Staged at the Jain Bhavan auditorium in Loresho, it boldly explored the stages of abuse through five characters who were all playing Kimuyu in different stages of her life. Free Me, a play at Jain Bhavan auditorium [Courtesy] The play, which was sold out on opening night, left the audience shocked by its blunt and provocative storytelling, proving that portraying domestic abuse should not soothe egos. The production received a standing ovation.

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