Theatre in the Woods took theatre, poetry, music, and visual art into an outdoor setting at Ole Kule Ranch on September 12. The event showcased What We Never Said, a play that continues the story explored in another play, What We Don’t Say, which was staged in April at Braeburn Theatre-Gitanga Road.
Presented by Doqflix Production, What We Never Said is a darkly comic ensemble drama presented as a chaotic reality and game show. Seven contestants are compelled to face the secrets, resentments and betrayals that they have spent years avoiding.
The Host, a flamboyant and manipulative pseudo-therapist who insists that the contestants reveal their deepest truths for the entertainment of a live audience.
Mike and Camilla are a wealthy married couple whose seven-year marriage is collapsing after Mike’s affair and Camilla’s unexplained seven-month disappearance.
Mary, Tabitha and Sherry are three women whose complicated family relationship is influenced by judgement, control, rebellion and buried secrets. Julius and Cyrus are a father and son whose relationship is complicated by a devastating secret about Cyrus’ parentage.
The host deliberately provokes the contestants, turning their pain into a competition and humiliation. As the game progresses, their carefully constructed identities fall apart.
The play explores the conflict between performance and truth, the ways families perform reconciliation, the commodification of real pain by the media and the possibility that the person orchestrating the revelation of truth may be hiding the biggest lie of all.
Producer Irene Mungai says that she wanted something experiential and intimate where people get to experience different forms of art. It felt too much in a conventional theatre space; therefore, they thought of taking it outside.
“The idea was not to move theatre into a garden or another conventional outdoor venue. I wanted the location to form part of the experience, such as the journey to the venue and the atmosphere created once audiences arrive,” she says.
The event also included poetry, DJs, and visual art.
She says the idea for Theatre in the Woods was partly inspired by her love of travel and camping. In 2023, she visited Ole Kule Ranch, where she camped and spent an evening around a bonfire with music and friends.
“I thought to myself, what if we brought theatre? We did a play there with someone playing a saxophone. I had thought about this years ago,” Mungai says.
She adds that the outdoor environment is part of the aesthetics of the play, with the landscape contributing to the rustic atmosphere.
The setting also changes the relationship between performers and audiences. What We Never Said plays with the traditional fourth wall, especially through the character of The Host.
“The therapist is breaking the wall, but it is not direct. He is talking to himself, but he is talking to the audience,” she says.
What We Never Said was also informed by the production team’s earlier work on What We Don’t Say, which Mungai says is a therapy-like experience that audiences found relatable.
What We Never Said moves away from the format and places its characters in a talk-show-style setting. Through The Host, it explores the idea that seeking therapy is acceptable while also acknowledging that therapists, like everyone else, have their own problems. It is good to talk to people about the things that we never said.
She says that the cost of putting together such an event was significant without sponsors. Finding a suitable location, preparing the ground, arranging décor and setting up the event all need considerable resources.
There is also the experience of the audience to consider, including food and drinks.
Mungai says that the part of the appeal is bringing together people who may not necessarily attend theatre productions but are drawn to outdoor experiences.
“I have friends who go camping not because they enjoy plays but because they like the outdoors. If you don’t enjoy the play part, you enjoy the DJ part,” she says.
She sees this as an opportunity to create connections between different creative communities, including theatre practitioners, DJs, poets and visual artists.
Theatre in the Woods, she says, contributes to the diversity of the theatre scene by creating another space for artists to present their work, especially when established venues such as the Kenya National Theatre are fully booked.
The long-term ambition is to make the platform a leading space for the theatre and creative experiences.
“We want to take it beyond a single event where local stories, artists and audiences come together in refreshing ways. I want people to hear Theatre in the Woods and think about great stories, unforgettable experiences and a community of creatives,” she says.
The most rewarding part of the project has been the sense of possibility it creates.
“It is the hope and possibility where creativity feels alive, artists can thrive and audiences come for the experience and leave with a story to tell,” she says.