A mental health play written by playwright and author Adipo Sidang’ is set for the stage. In The Seashell Hum features a renowned cast of Nick Ndeda, Foi Wambui, Angela Mwandanda, and Gitura-Kamau. It is directed by Victor Gatonye.
Originally written in 2019 by Sidang’ as a radio play, he has adapted it for the stage. This interactive psychodrama piece will run from May 15 to 17 at the Kenya National Theatre to mark the Mental Health Awareness Month.
It explores the contradiction between the physical and inner worlds of visual artist Baraka (Ndeda), who believes that he is a soldier while battling with a mental health condition and alcoholism.
He lives in the coastal urban setting in Malindi with his girlfriend Salma (Wambui). Highly gifted, intelligent and eloquent, he is an experimental thinker with a fascination for IT but struggles with PTSD, alcoholism, and recurring relapses, among other mental health symptoms.
He feels trapped; thus, he is set on finding the truth about his life as a soldier. His doctor (Gitura-Kamau) describes his conditions as hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions.
“I made the deliberate choice not to name the full scope of what he is going through mentally or to be stereotypical. I want the audience to see it independently and make their own conclusions without the influence of medical terminologies,” Sidang’ says.
Baraka’s inner experiences are expressed through sound. Sound is a paramount element throughout the production, including the title. Sidang’ recalls being told that there are voices inside a seashell; thus, a seashell hum is a metaphor for a mental health condition.
“Seashell hum. Dripping water. Stiletto footsteps. Whistling trees. Wild waves. Whispers. The sounds clash chaotically but create some sort of harmony in Baraka’s mind,” Sidang’ says.
He continues: “Sound is a character on its own. It is the surest way of getting into the mind of a person affected by a mental health condition.”
Baraka has odd obsessions with the number four and the colour black, and the two intertwine with the voices in his mind and become what Sidang’ describes as a beautiful yet unsettling world of sounds.
Nick Ndeda paints a picture of Baraka as a man who uses his artistry to let out his frustrations and rage. With a total disdain for therapy, creativity is a form of release for him.
“The play shows that men go through a lot, and it has given space to Baraka to be vulnerable when we see him open up to another man. This explores the themes of vulnerability and masculinity,” Ndeda says.
Gitura-Kamau plays two contrasting roles: Athuman, who represents Baraka’s voice in his mind, and the doctor, who represents treatment. Their duo performance portrays how the voices drive him to the edge of a mental health crisis.
Kendi (Mwandanda) is Baraka’s older sister, who disappeared from his life for almost two years and reappears unexpectedly. She represents how caregivers can also be mentally affected.
“It takes a toll on Kendi. She wants to help bring him back to life, but she is limited in what she can do,” she says.
Ndeda appreciates the production for not depicting mental health with hopelessness. Observing that people look at it as if someone is beyond help, he says that the audience will still have a chance to see Baraka as a wholesome character, outside of the condition.
Producer Mudamba Mudamba says the play is a call to action to end stigma. Noting that it is most common in the creative and military sectors, he is bringing together creatives across disciplines for conversations.
“After the applause, creatives have to contend with economic and social pressures, which lead to alcoholism and mental health conditions,” Mudamba says.
This April, the actors are performing skits from the play to mark Alcohol Awareness Month, culminating in a full show in May. The entry-free skits are running at Mageuzi Hub at Pawa 254, GoDown Arts Centre, Creatives Garage, and Baraza Media Lab in Nairobi and possibly at their offices in Mombasa and Kisumu.
At these venues, the production team is working with mental health facilitators to provide medical assistance to attendees dealing with alcoholism or mental health conditions.
Photos: Courtesy