“Death by Skirt”: Interrogating the burden of mental health and gender-based violence in the society
(From L to R) Timelines Poetry as Dennis, Tony Aswani as Ralf, Ann Okwisa as Maggie and Omar Mohammed as Morris during the play Death by Skirt on 1st March 2026
The curtains rose gently, and for a moment, the room felt suspended between silence and anticipation. Death by Skirt, a stage production by A Bunch of Idiots, was not just another play, it was an experience carefully stitched together with intention, growth, and heart.
From the very beginning, it was clear that this was a production thoughtfully curated, and even more telling was the remarkable evolution the creatives have undergone over the years.
Their professionalism and meticulous attention to detail spoke volumes; it felt less like a performance and more like a deliberate act of care toward the audience.
As the show began, a cool, almost haunting ambience filled the room, setting the emotional tone before welcoming Ogoti Moses, whose narration gently but firmly questioned how often we misconstrue love based solely on fleeting feelings. That opening alone planted a seed of reflection that would blossom throughout the evening.
At the heart of the play is Timeline's Poet, who takes on the role of Dennis, a man confronting his deepest fears and unresolved trauma after death. Caught between life and the afterlife, Dennis finds himself spiritually bound in Maggie’s house, forced to witness a reality he can neither escape nor immediately change.
(From L to R) Timelines Poetry as Dennis, Tony Aswani as Ralf, Ann Okwisa as Maggie and Omar Mohammed as Morris during the play Death by Skirt on 1st March 2026
Maggie, portrayed powerfully by Ann Okwisa, a TikTok sensation turned stage actress, lives in a cycle of abuse at the hands of her boyfriend Morris, played with chilling intensity by Omar Mohammed.
Consequently, as Maggie’s suffering unfolds, Dennis is compelled to confront uncomfortable truths about love, pain, and redemption. Guiding him through this spiritual reckoning is his guardian angel Ralf, brought to life by Tony Aswani, whose presence balances gravity with moments of warmth and insight.
Through this layered storytelling, the audience is drawn into a space where the spiritual realm intersects with everyday realities.
Written and directed by Martin Ngugi, Death by Skirt seamlessly blended humor, poetry, and raw storytelling. As a result, it sparks critical conversations around mental health and gender-based violence, while also examining these issues through both societal and spiritual lenses. The play does not merely tell a story, it interrogates it.
(223) Ogoti Moses Narrates during the play Death by Skirt on 1st March 2026.
Zipporah Nyangara, an attendee who has followed several productions by A Bunch of Idiots, noted that the most noble thing one can do is commend their tremendous growth. Indeed, beyond the technical excellence, the play resonates because it mirrors realities many have either experienced firsthand or painfully witnessed.
She says the emotional weight of the performance was particularly palpable during the scenes where Maggie endured violence from her cheating boyfriend, a moment layered with painful irony.
"Yet even in its darkest scenes, the casting remained impeccable, and the narration breathed life into every transition," she notes
Moreover, the play courageously explores the nexus between childhood experiences, attachment styles, romantic longing, and intimate partner violence.
"It challenges the audience to interrogate their own definitions of love. Do we truly love, or do we cling to the idea of love? Are we seeking to be loved, or are we unconsciously choosing familiar traumas and calling them affection? Perhaps, as the play subtly suggests, healing must come first," she says
According to Aswani, who also serves as the producer, the production aligns with their 2026 vision of reviving and expanding the Nakuru theatre industry by encouraging residents to experience and appreciate live theatre.