Kampala recently hosted a unique drama festival co-organised by Sundance Institute East Africa (SIEA) and Bayimba Cultural Foundation. The theme of the plays featured at the inaugural Kampala International Theatre Festival held from November 26-30 was the struggles women go through in patriachical societies in Africa.

According to Deborah Asiimwe, award-winning playwright in charge of theatre programme at SIEA, “The goal of this festival is to create a platform for theatre artists to share work that is diverse, interesting, provocative, topical, and most importantly work that is of high quality. It is also a platform for theatre artistes from across the region to have an opportunity of seeing each other’s work, and hopefully find ways of working together.”

The festival’s objective is to contribute to a vibrant and visible theatre industry in the region and create a platform to support and facilitate the creation and presentation of the best heatre productions. It will not only give a platform to develop professionalism among East African theatre practitioners and connect the East African theatre-making community but will also broaden the access to theatre and develop new audiences.

The festival is a culmination of close to 13 years of investment by SIEA in exposure and exchange activities with artistes from the six East African countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

One of the plays that became a talking point was Wimbo Wa Nyonga by Tanzanian playwright Asha Salimu Mshana. The play, presented in Kiswahili, is about Tumaini, who is a representation of an “African woman” who for a long time has suffered from traditions that perpetuate patriarchy. It is done against the backdrop of a society where women are the majority voters but have failed to exploit their numerical advantage to vote in female Members of Parliament to legislate against patriarchy.

Tumaini, played by the playwright, fights for equality as per her late mother’s wishes expressed in her will; She runs for an elective leadership post in her village and triumphs by beating a male rival.

“African women always want someone else to fight for their rights. As a playwright, I wanted my play Wimbo Wa Nyonga to remind and encourage women to stand up for themselves and fight for their rights. It is time for women to vote for other women for change,” Mshana said.  

Another notable play was Desperate to Fight by Ethiopian playwright Meaza Worku Berehanu, about Marta (Gladys Oyenbot), who has been divorced thrice and is contemplating a fourth marriage. Philip Luswata plays the roles of Marta’s three husbands Shibiru, Yohanas and Million.

The characters in Desperate to Fight speak openly directly about intimate issues like love and divorce. Directed by Aida Mbowa, the play is a sophisticated, witty and paradoxical story about relationships, love and marriage from the heart of the gender-struggles in contemporary Addis Ababa.

“When I wrote Desperate to Fight ,I did not imagine that it would appeal to people outside Ethiopia. I am happy that people can connect to the story. Marriage is part of daily social life and that is why Marta has gone through several marriages in order to fit in,” said Berehanu.

Radio Play by Elizabeth Senja Spackman (US, Rwanda) is about a young female DJ, Herve Kimenyi, who works as a host of a late night call-in radio show, where she listens to the secrets of others — failed relationships, secret diseases and affairs — and which start to affect her life. It comes to light that every character has a secret, even the radio hosts themselves.

Award-winning Ugandan playwright Angella Emurwon presented her new stage work titled Strings that revolves around a family’s reaction to the 20-year absence and now return of Maama’s husband, Baaba, from Kyeyo (working abroad as a migrant worker).

Maama (Kaya Kagimu Mukasa) has created a family bubble for the sake of her two children Junior (Patriq Nkakarukanya) and Ler (Diana Kahunde). In Baaba’s absence, Maama took an on-again, off-again lover in Uncle Lokil (Roger Masaba), who happens to be Baaba’s brother. Baaba meanwhile is seeking to regain his rightful place in Maama’s life.

Asked what motivated her to write Strings, Emurwon said: “I wanted to explore certain themes and I thought a family drama was a good vehicle. There’s something about close and messy human ties that doesn’t easily fit into the hero/villain genre which I have always found interesting.”