This archive report was first published on 21 November 2019.
Theatre scene heats up ahead of the holidays ¶
As the pre-holiday season rush sets in, the theatre scene in Kenya is abuzz with a plethora of productions and performances lined up for the next few weeks.
One of the highlights of the season is the performance of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, which will feature three Kenyan dancers on three separate continents. Lawrence Ogina, a student at the University of South Carolina, will perform as the Cavalier opposite Cooper Rust, a guest artist from Dance Centre Kenya, who will be performing as the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Cooper Rust, the artistic director of Dance Centre Kenya, has been training the three Kenyan dancers, including 15-year-old George Okoth, who will be performing as the Nairobi Snow Cavalier. George has been dancing with Cooper since she started teaching him in Kibera in 2012, even before Dance Centre Kenya was formed.
Another notable production is Radicals, a political play by Bilal Mwaura, which will be directed by Nice Githinji at the Kenya National Theatre. The play follows a squad called the Golden Warriors Revolutionary Front and is described by Mwaura as 'high-adrenaline.'
Other productions lined up for the season include The Illegitimate Twin, a musical that will be staged at the University of Nairobi's Chandaria Centre for Performing Arts, and Kaggia, a play that will feature Martin Kigondu in the title role.
