PROFESSIONAL CENTRE SLOWLY REGAINS MOMENTUM AS A THEATRE VENUE

By Margaretta wa Gacheru (7.1.23) Top Security Ventures (TSV) are a rag-tag bunch of theatre novices who nonetheless thrilled Nairobi audiences last Saturday. Staging ‘Jesus, While you were Away’ at Professional Centre, they are among several theatre troupes that are attempting to revive the former landmark which once represented theatre excellence, but those days are gone. Quite unceremoniously, the Centre as a leading cultural venue died several years ago due to indefensible mismanagement. But this past weekend, the Centre saw two productions premiere, one of standup comedy featuring Generale aka George Thuku, and produced by Renegade Ventures. The other, by TSV which brought a comedy to the stage that never said a word about Jesus, except as vaguely referenced by the bogus Pastor who paid conmen to pretend his word healed the sick and raised the dead. One has to appreciate the initiative to revive Professional Centre as a site fit for commercial theatre, especially since Nairobi is short on performance venues. Admittedly, the Centre is a shadow of what it once was when the likes of Anabel Maule, John Sibi Okumu, Stephen Mwenesi, Ian Mbugua, Millicent Ogutu, and James Falkland put on productions there. On Saturday, the front stage was shrouded in shreds of semi-transparent curtains that were held together literally with safety pins. The set itself consisted of one table and a kanga used to cover up what was assumed to be a dead body, and what also became the reception desk for a bogus hospital office opened to delude a public that was in need of medical care. Otherwise, there were several paintings strewn haphazardly on and off the stage, presumably as a sort of product placement ploy. Written and directed by Bonnie Lukunza Kisada with assistance from the co-founder of the company, Erick Chuma, the company’ producer Batso Sadikini told BDLife that they are intent on only improving with time. One just hopes their motive isn’t comparable with that of the hustlers in their play, keen to make a fast buck by any means possible, including embarrassing themselves on stage. But even if it is, what’s more important is whether they can spin a good story. And while there were several hiccups in this, their very first performance as the group corelate at several points with many young people’s life experience. As this story unfolds, we meet two guys who had been drugged by ladies they’d picked up the night before and foolishly brought home. Home is a small flat that they owe three months’ back rent on. As such, they are harassed by the caretaker (Kelvin Mwongi) acting on behalf of his boss, the Landlord. We don’t learn much more about the flat since the ladies were like locusts after having laced the rice they’d cooked with a knock-out sleeping pill also known as rice or mchele. When one of the two wakes up, he finds his flat striped of everything apart from the undershirt he is wearing and the pants they let him keep. The rest of the story has little or nothing to do with Jesus, and more to do with young men’s exploring various hustles that might earn them some quick cash. First, they try starting up a fake medical centre which ironically has some success. Then, they hear about a pastor who is paying Sh50,000 to anyone prepared to conjure some disease or disability, and then bear witness to the Pastor’s healing power. The hustlers are keen to present themselves to the Pastor in public covered in disabilities just as long as they are assured of the payment. But when they see that it is not forthcoming, they have to think fast. It’s not complicated since the Pastor just got platters for donations passed around the congregation for his supposed healing ministry. So, Plan B consists of snatching the money bags where donations were placed and dashing quickly out the door. Kaboom, the end. It’s an abrupt ending but one the audience approved of. It’s also one that could have been followed with a humble ‘Q & A’ between the actors and the audience since Batso, the producer told BD Life this was the first ever production by the new group, and they would have benefitted if they’d gotten feedback. For instance, I would tell them there needed to be less shouting and more thoughtful consideration of how they might use the feedback to improve their game.