The trouble with the National Theatre

By Erick Wamanji

She is shunned like the deadly swine flu virus. Reason: her body and soul is accused of being a theatre of evil — drug peddling, drug abuse, and illicit love affairs.

That is the harsh verdict many have slapped on Kenya National Theatre (KNT).

And for this horrific image that has clung on the premier theatre house like a tick, KNT is losing out big time. The genie haunting these grounds has remained elusive to bottle.

The Kenya National Theatre.

And thus the ancient ceremonial, almost sacrosanct magic ascribed to theatres of yore, can never be said of KNT.

"What is killing this theatre is negative publicity and dirty politics from artists themselves," notes Edward Swanya, the new manager.

"They have a negative attitude towards the place and spread the same propaganda. Some of them have seriously defaulted on payments, and they don’t want to be questioned," he says.

The trouble with KNT is largely lack of seriousness on the part of State, uncreative management and uncooperative artists. This is the case even in the current wave where Nairobians are trooping back to theatre halls.

Besides high default rate from groups that use the halls, State grants to KNT have been frozen in the past five years. This means it has to grapple with a shoestring budget to meet critical obligations like hiring private security services.

Theatre enthusiasts at the French-run theatre hall. Photos: Erick Wamanji/Standard

Recently, Eliud Abuto of the Festival of Creative Arts burnt his fingers when he staged his Fly in the Ointment at KNT. He only managed to entertain a drably echoing hall and unmoved ramshackle seats. Nairobians gave the show a wide-berth, not because of quality but choice of location.

"When we advertised that our show would be staged here, our fans sent us emails and called frantically cancelling their tickets and protesting our choice of venue," he told the Standard on Saturday.

And life at KNT is theatrical indeed. It is dotted with scruffy dreadlocks and poorly tattooed flesh as if the two are mandatory prerequisites for admission to the grounds and stage. At a corner, it is scribbled "no-smoking zone" but some youth with Rastafarian accessories puff smoothly as if the stuff polishes and offers luck for stardom.

Moss on the walls

There is an eerie feeling of despondency as one ventures into KNT. The buildings are grubby and moss is grown on the walls. In the yard, aspiring artists loiter aimlessly.

The parking bay is rough, replete with pebbles and holes. At the Wasanii Restaurant’s veranda, patrons coolly sip alcohol. For a moment, KNT stands out as a pariah scoundrel in a court of the elite. Just opposite is the up market Norfolk Hotel, on the right is University of Nairobi’s main campus and Kenya Broadcasting Corporation flanks her left.

Interestingly, the latest disappointment comes soon after the curtains were drawn to unveil a fresh governing council. The council was expected to put the facility on the straight and narrow and remould its image.

But Swanya is optimistic the image problem is being sorted out. He says efforts are rolling to curb the social anomies. But this cannot convince Heritage Minister William ole Ntimama who has strong misgivings about the place.

While officiating the Kikwetu III function earlier in the year, he described KNT thus: "This place lost its glory. It’s now a place for drug traffickers and drunkards."

This assertion seems to have come to haunt the theatre and rekindled the bad memories when the facility was rotting and artists could not even afford bus fare.

"It is true artists have been using this place as a hideout for drug abuse and peddling. But that is changing," explains Swanya. He also reveals that the Wasanii Restaurant, long accused of being a drug haven, is cleaning up. The restaurant has been flouting its licence and operates like a nightclub.

"People come to misbehave at the bar and the bad name is lumped on us," he says.

Indeed, KNT is not a place of choice for polished theatregoers. Interestingly, it is just a few metres from the French Cultural Centre, a hot favourite for many theatre fans.

Better alternatives

The centre is urbane. It boasts velvety self-folding seats, good lighting and airy. Decorum is sacred. Often, performances register full houses. Unfortunately, it has only a seating of about 200 as opposed to KNT’s 400.

But an artist the Standard on Saturday spoke to denied the allegations of drug abuse. "That was then, before the new management. Nowadays it is hard to even to smoke…but we cannot say everybody here is good either," says Joel Oyoma, a nyatiti player.

Swanya regrets that KNT’s ownership is still in dispute. Created under the colonial laws, the British Council named Barclays Bank as KNT’s trustees. It is this grey area of ownership that her neighbours are prying over. Recently University of Nairobi and KBC annexed portions of the original 1.89 ha. The annexation is a subject of dispute.