Fortunes on Kenya’s performers’ stage have been dwindling

Fortunes on Kenya’s performers’ stage have been dwindling by the day, but as Jasmine Atieno found out, there is still an opportunity to redeem the once lucrative performing arts sector. Theatres have always been an important space for culture and its dissemination to the people. But the digital realisation of online platforms such as YouTube has created a shortcut for upcoming talents to actualize and fine-tune their crafts. However, veteran thespians share that the very life of theatres got endangered way before the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, and now there’s a dire need for their revival if their survival is to be obtained. Accomplished actor, writer, journalist, TV presenter and theatre guru John Sibi-Okumu is famously known for his starring role in the 2005 film The Constant Gardener. The movie won him great recognition within the art industry, a journey he started in the theatre. As a legend in the sector, he opines that with the absence of strong unions there is a negative ‘divide and rule’ and ‘pull them down’ culture that requires no further fuelling. “I believe that as artistes we should be collaborating in our ambitions and compare our products to raise general standards. It would be good for Kenya to have a reputation for a world-class, but homegrown theatre. The major evolution has been the performance for pay initiatives. When we as actors were inaugurating such epoch-making plays as Joe de Graft’s Muntu in the early 1970s, it was for nothing. And the pioneering Phoenix Theatre, under the legendary James Falkland gave an honorarium of Sh100 for each of about 15 performances. Times have changed since then, allowing us to talk of a creative industry,” Okumu tells Spice. He adds, “The future must always be thought to be brighter than the present, as a given. However, there are many imponderables. In the wake of the pandemic, the creative community must persuade audiences that its products are of a quality worthy of payment. Consequently, a revival of the economy is key. Recognition of the value of the arts to any society will come with an increasing political awareness among our citizens though. An insecure and undemocratic government will do everything in its power to muzzle artistic creation. If the pandemic lingers on, we may have to consider different modes of delivery; for example, film to stream to prior paying audiences.” Shifting fortuity When actor Davis Luvaha aka Rojo Mo joined theatre more than a decade ago, he says theatres were places where passion met the social life, but has since changed as people shifted to watching more TV than live acts. He cites this as one of the negative impacts of evolution in the Kenyan theatre. “Back then, you could charge even Sh500 per person for a play, but with time, we started losing out. You would charge Sh250 per person and still people would not show up. So, people started leaving theatre because it was not paying anymore. I know many new thespians that want to join theatre, but most of them lack commitment and they want to become famous fast. Theatre is the best platform to nurture talent and if the future is to get better, then the clubs need to be revived and best is to create a ‘theatre day’ for Kenyan thespians, which would join and bring people together,” he says. Mombasa-based thespian John Wasonga joined theatre 20 years ago as an amateur and became a professional in 2008. He shares that the evolutions in the industry and dwindling fortunes have been a threat to its growth. But there is still hope as ‘children theatre’ is expanding. “If we can go back in time, we see that Kenyan theatre was mostly borrowed from English plays. But the future is in Kenyan stories, our languages; the shows have to tell our stories. The future is in the hands of young artists and there are many joining the space, others coming in just for experience while others as a lifetime goal. Theatre also has to be able to move both mentally and physically,” says the accomplished theatre director. As much as the industry was hard hit by the pandemic this year, renowned actor, musician and performing arts teacher Ian Mbugua shares that virtual concerts and performances have really increased, which is good for the industry because it has allowed talents to thrive. But in as much as TV and other online platforms have introduced them to new talents, it is all raw and needs training—the core importance of theatre. “Theatre is not evolving as well as it should. We have no proper theatres. By this I mean a building with a permanent company putting on plays throughout the year. Phoenix Players, which was the only repertory theatre, shut its doors a couple of years ago. It is sad that the Kenya National Theatre is simply a space for hire, just like the Alliance Francaise auditorium, or Goethe and Michael Joseph Centre. We used to have a fairly good number of international film companies choosing Kenya to shoot big budget movies, but not anymore. They now go elsewhere, especially South Africa, even if it is a Kenyan story. Sad. We have, on the other hand, developed more local content on TV. The quality may be questionable, but quantity is definitely there,” says Mbugua. It is his belief that the Kenyan theatre still has the potential to grow big and lucrative, but without serious backing from the government, corporate world, philanthropists and the general public, the future is bleak. He is hopeful though for new plays and new shows on TV, because “playwrights have been busy writing new material during the pandemic”. Hope for prosperity Thespian Stephanie Maseki is the vice chairperson of Mombasa’s Little Theatre Club. She believes the Industry faced a myriad of challenges even before the Covid-19 crisis, and that the county has a long way to go when it comes to appreciating and uplifting the arts industry. “The biggest challenge is the people. People in Nairobi embrace theatre, but the case is not the same in Mombasa. And this was an issue even before the pandemic. We put too much effort, but if people don’t turn up then we don’t get pay. I had a show in Nairobi two years ago at the Kenya National Theatre and people showed up. The auditorium was full and these were people who did not even know me, but they came. But in Mombasa, my domain, it is such a struggle,” she intimates. Veteran actor, theatre, TV and film director Gillie Owino has been in the theatre industry for over 35 years and able to watch as the evolution of theatre slowly gets overshadowed by film. He says this is bad for the upcoming talent because theatre was the shaping stone for film. Also, he shares that as much as there used to be English plays back in the days due to availability of the audience, it is time for a shift into more local content. “There is more need for Kiswahili content in East Africa, and Multichoice, amongst many other organisations, is investing in that. We need to redirect these investments on the theatre culture and also let it pay. Passion needs sustenance, and moving from there to film needs training. Also not forgetting that we live in a time where almost everybody wants to have a YouTube channel, so overlooking the relevance of stage. But the truth is that the stage has a way of rebirthing and rediscovering itself,” he says. Adds Owino, “There is a need for forums to talk about these things and we must also have policies guiding this industry with the involvement of the arts teachers, professors, media houses, colleges. The trained students need to be directed on where to go after learning the craft. The government needs to be involved, but when it comes to investing, we are the ones who should be doing this, we have been trying, but there hasn’t been a lasting solution. Still, we are not giving up on it for the future’s sake.” Promises of the future When the old torchbearers are working to have better grounds for future generations, the eyes are keenly turned to the most promising. Caroline Ngorobi and Martina Ayoro are tipped to become top thespians in the industry. The new normal, they share, has presented an even bigger platform for the theatre and this is seemingly what the future is preparing the theatre industry for. “Although seemingly dead, there is still space for theatre and performing arts. Opportunities are more, especially with the internet. We can easily access performance workshops online, collaborate with international artists and have a lot of arts and cultural exchange. The audience, seeks convenience and going to the theatre is slowly being considered an inconvenience as opposed to an experience. People want everything at their doorsteps. As theatre practitioners, we need to explore more non-theatre spaces and take theatre to the people. And more importantly, it’s high time to set up an Arts Council that can cushion artists from external damages, especially during the creating process,” Ngorobi says. For many stakeholders at the Nakuru Players Theatre, things seems to be creeping back to normalcy, especially after the recent week-long creative workshop conducted by the Kenya Cultural Centre officials Nicholas Moipei and Michael Pundo. “We are working to bring activities back to the theatres after Covid-19 closed us down and we are doing it in partnership with locals theatre groups and interested parties. While at it, we are training them not just on the basics of their trade, but also on life skills. We have received requests for project partnerships from various groups, and after the stimulus package by the president, we’ve been looking at the various methods we can uplift these programmes because they have potential to create jobs for thousands of thespians,” says Pundo.

Fortunes on Kenya’s performers’ stage have been dwindling

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Fortunes on Kenya’s performers’ stage have been dwindling

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