Sunday April 16, 2017
Patrick North (right, played by Tom Walsh) is held captive by two Somali youth Abdi (played by Maina Olwenya) in the play 'A Man Like You' showing on March 8 at the Braeburn Theatre in Nairobi. PHOTO | COURTESY
The award-winning Kenyan play A Man Like You, that wowed theatre goers in Nairobi and New York will be back in Nairobi during its African tour.
The play, which premiered in Nairobi last year has been riding high after garnering seven nominations at last year’s Sanaa Theatre Awards, winning Best Actor and Best Tragedy.
Written by Silvia Cassini, the play speaks to issues that are now fuelling the world’s most prominent debates across cultural stereotypes and national identity. Set in Somalia, A Man Like You gives Cassini’s message more significance, and the timing of the play’s continental tour is extremely pertinent.
The story it tells illustrates the world views of two men, Abdi and North, who come from two different points of views. They hold completely different philosophies, which they discuss over the course of North’s captivity of 102 days.
They debate over good and evil, power and control, who is a terrorist and who is not, and the issue of who/what is God, and in so doing they challenge our own deeply-held world and religious views.
Though Abdi and North rarely see eye to eye, their basic humanity connects them, they meet at an intersection that reveals their flaws. We come to see that they are more alike than they think. Both achieve a heroic struggle, and the intention of the play is to leave the audience questioning who for them, is the real hero.
The play stars the incredibly talented Kenyan star from Nairobi Half Life Maina Olwenya (pictured) who was also nominated for the Best actor award.
Another top name is Tom Walsh, a British TV journalist and Kenyan born and raised actress Devina Leonard who plays Elizabeth North, wife to Patrick North.
The play will be performed at the Braeburn Theatre Nairobi on the 28th and 29th of April, in Harare during the Harare International Festival of Arts from 2nd to 11th of May and close in Cape Town between the 14th and 20th of May.