'Because you said so' cast at Kenya National Theatre
‘IMPROV’
ARTISTS AS SUPER STARS
By
Margaretta wa Gacheru (posted 12 April 2018)
Successful
improvisation in theatre is not an easy thing to do. It may look simple to
speak off the cuff, rather like a stand-up comic. But stand-up is a solo
venture while ‘improv’ is always in an ensemble. And to be effective in an
‘improv’ ensemble, you have to be in tune with everyone in your group. Plus you
have to be funny in your own right. You also have to be so egoless and
theatrically astute that you can allow your fellow ‘improv’ folks to take
center stage, leaving you to stand by.
June and Mugambi
Plus ‘improv’
theatre requires a lot of physical comedy and freedom of motion (both in body
and mind), no matter what your size, shape or sex. This was proved last Tuesday
night when Kenya’s premiere comedy improv’ group, ‘Because you said so’,
celebrated their fourth anniversary at Kenya National Theatre with a show that
astounded for all its charm, hilarity, spontaneity and sheer talent.
The team of
seven was assembled by its founder, Jason Runo who shamelessly mixed his own
true story (of being penniless but passionate about improv’) with a series of
segments that constituted a sparking showcase of imaginative escapades that
went on almost three and a half hours. But they could have continued another
two or three, given their full-house fans’ enthusiastic response to their
seamless style of stage presence, imaginative genius and high-octane vitality.
All seven
are obviously professionals although I’m only familiar with the awesome acting
and vocal talents of Mugambi Nthige (who co-wrote the new award-winning Kenyan
film, ‘Supa Modo’), June Gachui (who’s also a lawyer) and Patricia Kihoro (who,
with June, just co-starred in ‘The Vagina Monologues’).
It was a
special treat ‘meeting’ Jason Runo, Yafesi Musoke, Kevin ‘K1’ Maina and Justin
Karunguru that night. It felt like a ‘getting-to-know-you’ event since every
ensemble member had, more or less, to lay themselves bare (metaphorically
speaking) in order to respond so quickly, creatively and authentically to the
challenging prompts announced every few minutes by Jason.
The prompts
could be anything from the first ‘warm-up’ session, a rap-styled rhyming
competition and an ‘African’ response to ‘Black Panther’ to doing a weather
report using an audience member as a prop and a karaoke-kind of lip-syn battle
in which all seven performed like super-stars.
Let’s hope
we don’t have to wait another year to see them on stage again.
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