• Bridge of Roses

Directed by Hope Azeda, this play by Rwanda’s Mashirika Arts and Media Company first premiered in 2014 at Gisozi’s new amphitheatre in Kigali.

It is based on the real life testimonies of Marie who at 10 years decides to rescue little Grace from her dying mother.

It is about what Marie (a Hutu) faced when raising Grace (a Tutsi) and how she finally told Grace that they were not related biologically. The play explores how human beings create their own destructive cycles and what can be done to break those patterns.

• Ma Petite Colline

Written by Nicholas Grégoire and based on the musical ‘Pitocha in the Country of One Thousand Hills’, the 2014 production directed by Carole Karemera is presented by Ishyo Arts centre.

This unique play is suitable for those six years and above. It is full of African sounds and rhythm. It explores the complex causes of conflict, but also celebrates life and cultural diversity. The play includes games and Rwandan traditional dances.

• Shadows of Memory

This 20-minute piece is supposedly the country’s biggest and first theatre production. It premiered in April 2014 at the Amahoro National Stadium, as the country marked the 20th anniversary of the genocide.

The production is directed by Hope Azeda and Dorcy Rugamba was the drama consultant. There was a cast of 800 actors, musicians and dancers.

• Our House

This cross-cutting production between Rwanda’s Ishyo Arts Centre and Germany’s Helios Theatre is a one-hour play that explores the question of home at a time when people are being forced to leave theirs and build new lives and relationships in a different country. This 2016 production explores the physical and emotional turmoil facing humanity. The play has been staged in Germany, South Africa and France.

• Africa’s Hope

This is story of survival and hope, and has evolved tremendously since its first showing. With a cast of over 1,000 people, the vibrant, emotionally charged show blends the true stories of survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

It features Kinyarwanda singing, contemporary dance, movement and live African drumming. The production explores what causes evil to be unleashed. The play has been performed in the United Kingdom over three times, in Sweden, Los Angeles in 2009 and in Poland in 2018 at the Brave Festival.

It was also staged at the 2018 International Interdisciplinary Conference titled “Recognition, Reparation, Reconciliation: The Light and Shadow of Historical Trauma” held at the Stellenbosch University Theology Department in Cape town, South Africa in December 2019.

• Umurinzi

This play, whose title means guardian in Rwanda, premiered in 2019 when the country marked 25 years since the genocide. This modern opera tells the stories of young adults torn apart by the genocide. It is directed by Dorcy Rugamba and is based on the true stories of survivors.

It is a reflection of the current situation where the country’s young adults are driving the reconciliation agenda. Portraits of genocide victims are projected on a panoramic screen in the background of the stage. Music is a key part of the performances.

• Ejo N’ejo Bundi

This is a street play by France’s Uz et Coustumes and Ishyo Arts Centre of Rwanda, which was first performed in 2018. The play looks at different genocides committed in the 20th century. The play is mainly in French, but also features Kinyarwanda, Armenian, Hebrew and Khmer. There have been two shows of it in Rwanda and in various festivals in France.

• Quest to the Cure

Quest to the Cure is one of the few productions by Shekinah Drama Team. The 2016 production explores the experiences of those born after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The main character Kaliza embarks on a quest to find out what sparked the genocide and resulted in her parents seeking an escape abroad.

She comes to Rwanda where she meets Murekatete whom she tells of her quest. Kaliza is haunted by comparisons between where she grew up and her beautiful homeland, which is haunted by a dark past.

Kaliza is shocked to find out that she is a product of Hutu and Tutsi parents. She realizes the important role unity and reconciliation plays in rebuilding the country.

• We Call it Love

Directed by Denis Mpunga, this originally 2015 French theatrical presentation is performed jointly by the Ishyo Arts Centre and France’s ‘le Theatre de la Poudrerie.’

It features a small cast led by Carole Karemera, Michael Sengazi and Hervé Twahirwa, who works on sound production. The play is based on a true story of a conversation between a woman and her son’s murderer.

The play explores the themes of forgiveness and reconciliation. Isaro mourns her dead son Albert and seeks answers from Faustin, her son’s killer.

• Cathedral of Sounds

With a cast of over 36 people, this 2016 play weaves the past, present and the future. Set in one room, the piece brings together poets, musicians and other spoken word artists of various ages, who share their memories of survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The play has been performed in parts of Rwanda and Belgium in 2019.

• Generation 25

The play only features young born during and after the genocide. The production is directed by Hope Azeda and Yannick Kamanzi as its co-director, looks at the experiences of this young generation as they take on the responsibility of being guardians of a dark history.

It features the experiences of children born out of rape, children of victims and perpetrators, children born in exile and who must all live together to forge a common future.

• Miracle in Rwanda

Created by Leslie Lewis and Edward Vilga, Miracle in Rwanda, recounts experiences of a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The play is inspired by ‘Left to Tell,’ a 2006 New York Times Best-selling book, which narrates Immaculate Iribagiza’s horrific experience which saw her entire family butchered during the genocide. This one-woman play sees Uwamahoro performing fifteen characters including the lead character of Immaculate.