Sarafina street performance thrills Nakuru town residents

Nakuru town residents watch a flash mob performance of the Sarafina musical show which was staged along Kenyatta Avenue on October 22, 2019. PHOTO | CHEBOITE KIGEN | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The youthful artistes made their moves as they sung tunes from the famous Sarafina movie.
  • They were dressed in their trademark black and white acting attire.
  • Advance tickets are going for Sh1,000 and tickets at the gate will go for Sh1,500.

Business in Nakuru town came to a standstill on Tuesday evening as actors of the Sarafina musical show stormed Kenyatta Avenue with a flash mob performance.

Hundreds gathered on the street as a pre-production show went down for close to 30 minutes, creating awareness for the show that will be re-staged at the Nakuru Players Theatre from October 24 to October 27.

Dressed in their trademark black and white acting attire, the youthful artistes made their moves as they sung tunes from the famous Sarafina movie.

NAKURU THEATRE

Earlier, Nakuru Chief Officer for Gender, Culture and Social Services Tume Abduba had announced that the production will be re-staged as the county celebrates 70 years of the Players Theatre.

Ms Abduba said the show has employed over 40 young people in Nakuru and aims at inspiring and encouraging them to join the arts industry.

Nakuru Deputy Governor Eric Korir welcomed the actors and announced that he will, together with other county officials, attend the show on Thursday.

He added that the production had created an opportunity to not only people of Nakuru but also from other counties to learn more about art.

“Nakuru is blessed in so many ways. Hosting the award winning production of Sarafina musical show at the Nakuru Players Theatre is a great opportunity for us to revamp the entertainment sector,” he said.

CHARGES

Mr Eric Wanyama, the secretary in the Players Theatre committee, confirmed that preparations at the theatre to host the show have been completed and thousands of guests are expected to watch the production.

“We are very ready to host the four-day production and currently we are giving out advance tickets at Sh1,000 and tickets at the gate will go for Sh1,500,” he added.

The film’s director, Mr Stuart Nash, noted that the actors have been concentrating on the Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi for years and now and it will be a privilege for them to perform outside the city.

GIFTED ARTISTES

According to him, there are quite a number of gifted artistes in Kenya but they lack exposure, a challenge that is leading to their early downfall.

Mr Nash noted that Nakuru is one of the best film destinations with talented and outgoing players.

“With the Players Theatre rolling active, I believe we can go big in identifying more artistes,” he added.

Nakuru Players Theatre Club was opened in the 1940s which saw the construction of the theatre building on Garland Avenue that later became Kipchoge Avenue.

The theatre was later opened to the public on 25 July, 1958, after four years of strenuous efforts on the part of the members of Nakuru Players Club to establish a reputable cultural centre in Nakuru for the purpose of advancing their artistic and entertainment needs.