Some interesting facts about Kenyan theatre

Theatre is very expensive

For the producers, that is. Sammy Mwangi, a brilliant and widely renown director of Heartstrings Productions gave us astronomical figures.

The growth of his company has been so rapid that it now costs over Sh500,000 to stage a single play that runs for several days a month.

Over the course of a year, this amount snowballs into a little over Sh7 million. Recently, initiatives by President Uhuru Kenyatta to renovate The Kenya National Theatre cost a whopping Sh100 million. Talk about value for money. 

There’s not much money in Kenyan theatre (for now)

If you are looking to get rich, try your luck elsewhere. The highest paid actor/actress pockets about Sh5,000 per play and this is dependent on if the show has a major sponsor. Some top actors earn an average of Sh2,000 per play.

A show in general runs for two weeks in a month, for a total of four shows. Many are not paid for rehearsals, which take up more time than the shows. But for the smart ones, they use this opportunity to boost their confidence and shore up their experience, which comes in handy when an opportunity presents itself in the small screen.

Many times a play will double cast, whereby actors play more than one role to cut on finances and sometimes for satirical purposes. Many production companies make loses more than they make profits.

Securing funding is the most troublesome. Not many people and organisations believe enough in theatre. Even with all that capital, the shows are very affordable. The standard price for all theatre shows is Sh600 but private shows can go up to Sh1500. 

It requires extreme and extensive preparation

It takes on average of three weeks to write an “OK” script for a play. Hiring support staff takes longer, and sometimes the companies need to train them for best results. The same goes for finding a suitable venue. Venues need to be perfect. They need to be easily accessible, affordable, in agreement with the nature of the performance and sizeable. 

It is very labour intensive You only see the few guys on stage but behind the scenes, it is manic. Actors, actresses and directors aren’t the only ones who work on a play. Theatre performances require technical support such as stagehands, writers, creatives, light and sound technicians, costume designers, choreographers and countless more who must collaborate to make a successful production. Without them, the play would be impossible to stage.

It takes a long time to oversee the hiring of support staff and an immense amount of dedication from both staff and cast to be successful. So, the next time you go to see your favourite genre you’ll know exactly where your ticket fares go. 

It’s also older than you think

Due to the current popularity of the performing arts, it is a common misconception that theatre in Kenya is a recent development. This is not true. An exhibition at the Kenya Cultural Centre, on the very first theatre, the Kenya National Theatre, proves that theatre began in the 1950s. The earliest pictures of the building were taken in 1952 when the Governor, Sir Evelyn Barring, officiated at the opening. The first indigenous performance was a comedy by Kipanga Athumani that was centered on the Mau Mau peasant rebellion. 

It was originally meant for educational and propaganda purposes

Several years since the opening of The Kenya National Theatre, the first building mandated for use in drama, The Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival was launched. It was a model of the British Drama Festival.

Indigenous plays weren’t allowed on stage until years later. The first indigenous play to ever win was Olkirkenyi in 1971. From then on, primary and college drama festivals were held — then primary, secondary and college drama events were integrated into a single event. Common themes included politics. Students were used as mouthpieces by teachers who wrote the plays. But with time, it turned into a creative outlet for the youth rather than a political battlefield. 

It was exclusive to Whites

According to the exhibition, “Recall and Reflect: The Kenya National Theatre Across Time”, the building was meant for exclusive all-white purposes. This was during the Mau Mau rebellion. It was a war of culture as locals struggled with whites over control of theatres.

In fact, some thespians had to leave the country fearing for their lives. 

Theatre can be dangerous

Theatrical accidents happen a lot. Trips and falls, old props and faulty lighting are but a few of the common accidents, and they can be life-threatening.

There have been cases of on-stage incidents in Kenya but not as bad as in the UK when stage manager Rachael Presdee fell and was paralysed from the waist down at London’s Soho Theatre. And there are incidents of off-stage tragedies like the Mandera attack at Bishaaro Guest House, which led to the death of 12 people, 10 of whom were actors and actresses of Pearls Theatre group. They were from a routine performance and were spending the night at the hotel. 

They have their own awards

The Sanaa Theatre Awards are the only national theatre awards held since the defunct Mbalamwezi Theatre Awards of 2004. The Sanaa Theatre Awards are an initiative of Tone Communication, based at the Kenya Cultural Centre. They aim at recognising excellence in Kenyan Theatre.

Awards are important to artistes because they provide exposure, opportunities for growth, reward for hard work and funding for future projects. It’s good to know that our talented actors receive proper recognition.

One thing is for sure though, if you happen to be in Nairobi, stop by for RûmaKindu (eat something) at KNT or The Alliance Francaise. Rest assured you’ll leave happier than you came in.