In 2025, some productions played to full auditoriums, others drew moderate audiences, while a few reached only a small number of viewers. Getting more people into theatre spaces and keeping them coming back has become one of the main focuses in the industry.
In the past, theatre marketing was informal. Cast members often sold tickets within their immediate social circles of friends and family. Flyers were stuck on trees and walls to reach the public, and performers’ payment depended on ticket sales.
While some of these strategies persist today, social media has been central to promotion since 2020.
Production companies like Too Early for Birds, Kwa Ndego Productions, Crony Production, and many others now open their ticket portals months ahead of shows and run vigorous social media campaigns.
Productions like The Trial of Dedan Kimathi, staged by Nairobi Performing Arts Studio, and Kifo Kisimani, staged by Hive of Theatre, released cinematic trailers weeks before their performances. Theatre practitioners also broadcast their promotions through podcasts, digital platforms, media outlets, and billboards.
Dickens Olwal, a performing arts educator and researcher, notes that in recent years, there have been good productions with weak marketing, or great marketing for weak productions.
He believes that young people aged 23 to 30 form the theatre’s strongest consumer base.
“Their purchasing power is growing, and their curiosity to attend shows will turn it into a cultural habit,” he says.
But they are also discerning and expect valuable experiences. One disappointing show could mean they never return to that production company, or even avoid the theatre entirely.
Olwal explains that this is because new theatre audiences are already exposed to films and streaming platforms, and they measure theatre against the polish of cinema, even though theatre operates under different constraints.
“Theatre is spontaneous; there are no reshoots. What happens on stage in that moment is what the audience gets. Achieving cinematic levels of perfection requires resources many theatre companies do not have,” he says.
To captivate new audiences, Olwal states that productions need simple, relatable storylines.
But they should also create a “wow” experience, with strong aesthetics in costumes, lighting, and set design, star performers, and branded backdrops for social media sharing.
“Theatre thrives on the fear of missing out (FOMO) and glamour. In my research, people are getting tired of watching movies at home, and that is what the theatre industry can bank on,” he adds.
Having worked in theatre for over two decades, producer and playwright Tash Mitambo of Renegade Ventures has observed marketing models evolve. Before social media dominance, companies like Phoenix Players relied on subscriptions.
Audiences paid upfront for an entire year’s calendar, which ensured attendance and financial stability. Each show would run for three weeks, giving theatre practitioners consistent work and selling more tickets.
He recalls actor and director James Falkland, who created this model. Phoenix Players would take only a one-week break between shows to set up for the next, and each performance had a full auditorium. “They did not rely so much on walk-ins. The audiences had already paid in advance, even for shows later in December,” he says.
Then and now, genre and production company loyalty remain effective. Heartstrings Entertainment, for example, focused on comedy and cultivated an audience that kept returning.
“Audiences are not only loyal to the theatre but also to the production company and its actors,” Mitambo says.
As a producer of vernacular shows, Mitambo tailors marketing campaigns depending on the production’s dialect. He reaches audiences through cultural football or music events or partners with popular musicians.
Blending theatre with live cultural music performances in outdoor spaces like gardens has drawn crowds who might not have bought traditional theatre tickets.
“The people who attend vernacular music shows are the ones we expect to come to our plays. I have worked with Wanjine, the Kikuyu pop singer, to attract audiences,” he says.
This year, he intends to collaborate with production houses from different parts of the country to stage cultural plays, giving Nairobi audiences diverse experiences.
Clare Wahome, CEO of Millaz Productions, plans to centre themes on corporations in her target audience to grow attendance. When the company staged Backstreet, a play on mental health, they collaborated with organisations working in mental health advocacy.
This approach will continue, but Wahome aims to venture further into corporate spaces, which she describes as untapped.
“By creating stories drawn from corporate experiences, the company hopes to attract professionals who rarely step into traditional theatre venues,” she says.
She adds that strategic partnerships, CSR collaborations, and corporate packages for audiences will sustain artists while growing the theatre audience.
Globally, artists put effort into publicity to attract audiences. In the staging of Hamilton, the production leveraged a talented cast, trailers, viral clips, and elaborate sets to create high demand.