Kenyan Scriptwriters waking up to strong demand for their work.

Scriptwriters find voice in Kenyan theatre and screen, both TV and film

Martin Kigondu and Trizah Wahinga on a blind date in Duets. Photo/Margaretta wa Gacheru 

 

By Margaretta wa Gacheru

Posted  Thursday, May 29  2014 at  18:43

In Summary

• More Kenyans look for alternative to Latino novellas and Nollywood movies, offering writers an opportunity to come up with homegrown scripts.

There’s growing awareness of our crying need for good Kenyan scripts, both for stage and screen.

This view is gaining traction not only because Kenyans are tired of watching Latino novellas and Nollywood tales on TV and on stage, British and American scripts ‘indigenised’ with a few Kenyan names.

At the same time, there is increased evidence that more Kenyans are committed to changing the long-standing dependence on foreign scripts and sit-coms. One illustration of that trend took place last weekend when the Ubuni School of Media & Creative Arts conducted its first Screen Writing Workshop.

Run by the acting coordinator of the newly formed Kenya Scriptwriters Guild Keith Kinambuga, last Saturday’s well-attended workshop was the first of seven sessions which will cover everything from the art and science of screen writing to the logistics of directing and producing scripts especially for film and TV.

The need for Kenyan scripts was also discussed during this week’s AITEC’s Broadcast, Film and Music Africa conference where people spoke frankly about the reality that Kenyan writers have the capacity to meet (but haven’t yet met) the demand for fresh new screenplays and scripts fit to compete with the cheaper foreign ones.

The latest evidence of original works being scripted and staged by Kenyans is Saturday's night’s performance of Checkmate Mido’s Hero Ololosokuan (or The Place of the Buffalos in Maa).

A show first staged a year ago at the same location, a campsite at Savannah Sunset Resort near Ngong, it’s a combination of storytelling, poetry, song and dance based on Mido’s research on the many Maasai names still used to identify places all over Kenya (including Nairobi, Nanyuki).

Mido will perform under the stars together with Ogutu Muraya and the Yellow Light Machine band. The show starts at 8pm but Mido advises you to come early to catch the sunset which is spectacular out in Maasai-land.

Another unique theatre experience happened Thursday night when the Arts Canvas staged Missed Connections featuring five short plays (two comedies and three dramas) in between a sumptuous three course meal at the former One Degree South Hotel, now known as West House Hotel. A review will appear in Business Daily in a week.

Finally, Phoenix Players opened last weekend in Duets, Peter Quilter’s amusing script about four couples intimately involved in different stages of romantic love.

Duets starts off with the awkward ‘Blind Date’ between Jonathan (Martin Kigondu ) and Wendy (Trizah Wahinga), then shifts to the scene of unrequited love which Janet (Lucy Mwangi) has for her gay boss Barry (Gibson Ndaiga) in Act 1.

Then in Act 2, Trizah Wahinga comes back, this time as Shelley, the inebriated wife on the verge of divorcing Bobby (Gibson Ndaiga). Ranting by Shelley about her real feelings for and against her spouse could be therapeutic in the end, though we can’t be certain. The final scene is all about Angela (Lucy Mwangi) who’s twice divorced and about to get married again for a third time.

Duets is a romantic comedy that examines the foibles and fickle nature of the human heart and the cast under Nick Njache’s direction did an excellent job as each actor takes on two radically different characters and is convincing in both.

My preference was for Janet and Barry since Janet refuses to relent in her chase for her gay boss, and at the end of that scene, one can’t be sure if she’s failed or succeeded.

In all four duets, the scene ends on an ambiguous note with the audience left wondering whether the couple will work things out or not. The blind date between Jonathan and Wendy looks hopeless, but as both of them clearly want to find a life companion.

Even the drunken couple taking their last holiday together might decide not to divorce but in the meantime Shelley unleashes all her pent up frustrations on Bobby. He takes it like a trooper suggesting there may yet be hope for their marriage.

Duets is a sweet showcase of the human heart revealing how those governed by emotions are bound to be taking a roller coaster ride through life.