 |
Kenya national Theatre. – Gallery
|
 |
The Sigana International Storytelling festival is a festival of international repute that provides a platform for storytellers from different parts of the World to showcase their Art. It also provides the Kenyan audiences and lovers of stories to experience both Homegrown and “Diasporan’ talent and excitement. In its 5th year, storytellers from Kenya, USA, Denmark and Romania will be sharing the stage. Lots of fun, excitement and memorable moments guaranteed! |
Written by Faith Oneya
Disclaimer: I am going to wax lyrical about this play. It is an absolutely biased review . I have not been paid to do the review(Kazi ya Mungu). Neither have I received complimentaries! 
Given my past experiences with Kenyan-themed Heartstrings plays, I had expected their latest play to be ‘A Kenyan Christmas!’.I was at once pleasantly surprised and relieved that it was not.Their latest play ‘are you a HORSE or a DONKEY’ will dispel any preconceived notions of a ‘typical Heartstrings experence’.
In my view, this judicious play not only proves that the Heartstrings ‘family’ are truly au fait with the Kenyan political climate but that they also care about the people that they make laugh and are willing to compromise a little on slaptick humour to cleverly interweave messages of peace, responsibility and a tribeless Kenya .
Not fully convinced yet? Here are four solid reasons that should make you watch it.
Number 1:They have a hilarious female standup comedian: Caroline Tharau warms up the stage in a what appears to be a fierce feminist stand straight after the narrator cum comedian Vincent Muasya (aka Chipukeezy) engages the audience in his laid-back ‘mchongowano’ , slightly self-depreciating fashion. In my opinion, Caroline Tharau’s funniest line is “I can write a man a script on how to seduce me’….and she finishes off with the line that she has always wanted to hear from a Kenyan man but has never heard…“Si nikulipie fare”. Then again, you have to have been there get the context!
Number 2: They have a live cartoonist who constantly draws the caricatures that form the backdrop of the play. This is a first! Armed with a chalk and what appears to be a dirty piece of cloth which he used to rub off the chalk drawings, the cartoonist quietly comes on and off the stage to do his thing.Heartstrings manages to deliver a dynamic backdrop as the artists rubs off the chalk drawings and introduces new ones as the scenes change. The stage comes alive and it makes it very easy to follow the play.
A scene from the play
Source: Heartstrings Kenya Facebook Page
Number 3: Nairobi Half Life’s Paul Ogola graces the show. Heartstrings Kenya has invested in new talent as a number of new faces are witnessed. They do a sterling job but each production has a star and Paul Ogola is undeniably the star here. As the play begins, Paul Ogola is standing in the queue with other passengers waiting for the Syokimau train in vain. He is the agent provocateur here and engages the stammering ticketing agent in a hilarious battle of words. He asks him: “Is the machine slow ama ni wewe?”Paul changes his roles throughout the play with the seamless-ness of a chameleon as he effortlessly and skillfully delivers his lines.
Scene One: Paul Ogola at the front of the queue hassling the ticketing agent…
On the far right is Muasya.
Source: Heartstrings Facebook Page
Number 4: You will laugh and laugh at yourself. This play reveals yourself to yourself in the only way a Heartstrings Kenya play can do. Your ignorance about the new developments like the Syokimau Railway station, your blind loyalty to politicians and their ridiculous coalitions (the baby that you will name “SyoKibaki”) among others. No politician is spared here.Nobody is beyond ridicule. No silly attitudes are tolerated. You will have to watch and see how yourself is revealed to yourself!
Number 5: For once, they have invested in props and they keep time! They have not only participated in job creation (There is need to acknowledge the carpenter engaged to deliver on the props) but they have also realized that 3-hour long plays are simply 3 hours too long!
#NowShowing #HorsesAndDonkeys…today till Sunday. …Weekdays 630pm Weekends 3pm & 630pm. Tickets 500/.0721608656.hilarity redefined!
Note: A.K.A is my favorite standup comedian!
THE FRIENDS ENSEMBLE
invites you to watch
Arguably, one of the HOTTEST and FUNNIEST Comedies ever scripted!
THE HOT MAMAS!
An uncontrollable crazy, sexy, A-Laugh –A-Line Masterpiece!
Come and get a dose this Riotous experience. Strictly Adults Only!
At The Alliance Francaise de Nairobi
19th, 20th and 21st October 2012
6.00pm and 8.30pm Friday
3.00pm, 6.00pm and 8.30pm Saturday
3.00pm and 6.00pm Sunday
Tickets: Ksh. 500/=
Get your ticket before 15th October 2012 for only 400/=
Tickets Hotline: 0720 861 236 or 0733 720 585
Email: friendsensemble@gmail.com
The Friends Ensemble – Redefining Theatre Brilliance!
Directed by Sammy Mwangi and Victor Ber
Reviewed by: Faith Oneya
In typical Heartstrings Kenya fashion, Kenyan Playboy is a political satire. The jokes are served fresh and hot from the star-studded cast (from the movie Nairobi Half Life)
Expectedly, the stage is sparsely furnished, the décor simply chalk drawings of the current political situation, with the notable caricatures of William Ruto, Ferdinand Waititu among others staring at the audience from the black walls.
The two narrators are the phenomenal AKA(From Churchill Live )and the hilarious Vincent Muasya who set the scene for the Kenya Playboy in a way that only seasoned comedians like themselves can. It was however quite unnerving to see the two narrators playing with their phones or sending text messages in what appeared to be acts totally unrelated to the play. Next time, perhaps the narrators’ corner should be completely darkened d to allow them enough time to play with their gadgets.
Source: Heartstrings Facebook Page
Maina Olwenya (Oti from Nairobi Half Life), plays the fitting role of a Meru man (pulling through the role with the most hilarious Meru accent I have ever heard) as the play begins. Along with other men, they are standing outside what turns out to be Ngara hostels , waiting for their ‘sisters’ and ‘nieces’. The conversations then centers around each man trying to outwit the other on convincing each other they had come for their relatives and finally of their sex-capades.
The plot then reveals the home life of one of the characters, an emasculated man who would rather be anywhere but with his wife (proving this by bedding his housegirl.Or, if you like, pulling a Schwarzenegger)….and his ‘boys’ decide to find him a new wife. What follows is a hilarious vetting process where the panel goes through one wrong woman after the other….you have to watch it to see how this all these hysterically unfolds.
Source: Heartstrings Facebook Page
Once again, Heartstrings delivers on its ROTFLMAO promise. If there was a laughometer (A gauge to measure the intensity of laughter) then it would have burst right open given the screeching laughter that the man seated next to me was ‘accidentally’ removing.
Catch the final shows if you are looking to throw your head back and roll on the floor laughing at yourself and your country!
Warning: If you do not follow current affairs(and by current affairs I mean Classic FM’s irreverent breakfast show and our Kenyan MP’s Shenanigans ) or are versed with sheng or Kiswahili, then this play is not for you.
8final shows of the hilarious #Kenyan Playboy continues from 9th to Sunday 14th October.
FOR TICKETS & INFO DIAL 0721 608 656 NOW!
you have seen them in the awards winning flick ‘Nairobi Half Life’ showing in theatre in town, now come have an experience of the same in the return of Kenyan Playboy II…next week at Alliance Francaise…featuring the best of Kenyan talents on stage…YOU CANT AFFORD TO MISS IT!….
Heartstrings Kenya presents the gut-crusher
“Kenyan Playboy”
This comedy, Kenyan Playboy, will arguably be the most controversial look at the approach Kenya gives riches and wealth.
A Kenyan will pay 20000/= yearly school fees in painful installments but ironically manage to buy a phone worth 80000/= without blinking.
This gut-crushing comedy will hilariously look at a Kenyan’s journey of Rags to Riches.
It will take us through the journey of a Kenyan pursuit of riches and hilariously so, prove that we do not know what to do with the riches after we get it.
Comedy: “Kenyan Playboy”.
Directed by: Sammy Mwangi and Victor Ber
Dates: 2nd – 7th October 2012
Venue: Alliance Française de Nairobi
Times: 6.30pm weekdays, 3pm & 6.30pm weekends.
Tickets: 500/
Contact: 0721 608 656
Nov
Gloria Mwaniga Minage
Faith Oneya
ropta
