Overview
“Are we Uhuru? Are we free? Were we ever Uhuru?”
Follow our storyteller on a journey from present-day Nairobi, back into a hidden tale from Kenyan colonial history. In this witty, moving and powerful story, we meet Dominic, a rickshaw driver at the famous Norfolk Hotel in the early 1920s.
The Archive Speaks is an international audio theatre project between Kenya International Theatre Festival and Jermyn Street Theatre. It seeks to shed light on the human lives at the heart of overlooked historical narratives. Written by writer and storyteller Thuita Mwangi, co-directed by Kwame Owusu and Darren Sinnott, and produced by Jermyn Street Theatre and Kenya International Theatre Festival.
The Archive Speaks is supported by the British Council.
People
Ivan Oyik
Narrator
Narrator
Ivan recently performed at Jermyn Street Theatre in Little Brother, Timberlake Wertenbaker’s adaptation of Ibrahima Balde and Amets Arzallus Antia‘s award-winning memoir. He trained at Guildford School of Acting
and was nominated for The Stage Debut Award for Blue/Orange. He has performed at the Bush Theatre, the
Young Vic, Trafalgar Studios. His screen work includes Ludwig, Doctors and Shook.
Charles Mnene
Dominic and Supervisor
Dominic and Supervisor
Charles Mnene is a British film, television and stage actor born in Nairobi, Kenya. He’s known for roles in The Agency S2 (Paramount+), Steal (Amazon), Young Wallander (Netflix) and the Netflix film Riding With Sugar.
Ahadi King’Ori
Guest and Voice
Guest and Voice
Ahadi is a non-binary multifaceted creative whose work focuses on identity, queerness and heritage. With each project, Ahadi contributes to a legacy of art that not only inspires but fosters a sense of community, celebrating the richness of Black narratives. They have performed at the Old Vic and Almeida Theatre.
Thuita Mwangi
Writer
Writer
Kwame Owusu and Darren Sinnott
Directors
Directors
Xana
Sound Designer and Composer
Sound Designer and Composer
Jack Hylton and His Orchestra
Composer and Performer of 'Dancing Honeymoon'.
Composer and Performer of 'Dancing Honeymoon'.