Play on struggles of single mothers lights up Nakuru players' theatre

Over the weekend, the performance of Dear Charles at the Players Theatre took the audience on an emotional journey, though the theatre was only half full.

The play by Alan Mellvile pokes an eye at family life and its intrigues

Featuring Winnie Amdany as Denise Darvel, the play highlights the struggles of a single mother whose two children are about to marry.

In her quest to secure a husband to assist in negotiating their dowry, Denise goes to great lengths to find someone to legitimize her status before meeting her future in-laws.

She decides to reach out to her children's fathers, enlisting their help in choosing which of the men should become her legal husband. The situation becomes complicated as none of the three men can agree on the arrangement. 

On top of that, it has been twenty years since they last saw Denise, and they are also grappling with the fact that they fathered her children.

While the play had the potential to be full of laughter, especially in its comedic moments, it didn’t quite land as expected. Though I found myself smiling at times, the play did effectively highlight the challenges faced by single women in society, particularly the stigmas attached to those who remain unmarried.

Michael Kamunya, the director of Playmaker Theatre, shares that the group aims to mentor youth in the arts within the Rongai sub-county and is active in raising awareness on mental health and sexual and reproductive health issues. 

He expresses satisfaction with the success of staging the play at Nakuru Players Theatre after a long hiatus and hopes to continue hosting more productions.

The performance followed a month-long run in August at the Playmakers Centre in Kiamunyi.

Other than Winnie Amdany the cast of the play include Hophine Kerongo, Fidel Muhando and Faith Chepkirui.