Falstaff is bunked up in Windsa and bored and horny. Having fallen in lust with both Mistress Page and Mistress Ford, he decides he’s going to seduce both at the same time. What he doesn’t realise is that they are best of friends and as soon as they realise he’s pursuing them both, they hatch a plan to punish him while also having fun at the expense of their jealous husbands. What everyone fails to do is keep their eye on Anne Page who is about to be married to one of two very unsuitable suitors. As everyone’s attention turns to Falstaff, she’s hatching a plan with Mistress Quickly to marry for love, rather than for profit.

Cast

James Gathitu* (Master Ford / Shallow), Lydiah Gitachu* (Mistress Ford / Bardolph), Mrisho Mpoto (Falstaff), Sharon Nanjosi (Sir Hugh Evans, Anne Page, Pistol), Ogutu Moraya (Master Page, Nym, Mistress Quickly), Neville Sanganyi (Slender, Dr Caius, Fenton), Chichi Seii* (Mistress Page, Hostess), Eric Wanyama (Simple), Sadat Moura (Master Ford / Shallow), Kitt Nyangaya (Mistress Page, Hostess), Veronica Waceke (Mistress Ford / Bardolph)

*Original Cast

Creative Team

Daniel Goldman (Director), Ogutu Moraya (Translator and Adaptor), Sarah Norman (Original Concept and Casting), Keith Pearson (Producer), Martin Kaona (Producer), Naijeria Toweett (Producer)

Without doubt, one of the most joyous experiences as a director. My good friend Sarah Norman was meant to be directing the show but she had to pull out for personal reasons and so I took over but not before she’d cast a brilliant ensemble of actors, led by Tanzanian poet and pop star Mrisho Mpoto as Falstaff.

We had an intense full on process, rehearsing both in Nairobi and on the slopes of Mount Kenya, as our lives were made easy by the fact that we were working off a glorious translation by Ogutu Moraya, who was also a glorious Master Page and Mistress Quickly. Before we knew it, we were on a plane to London, ready to perform in the Globe to Globe festival, a festival of all Shakespeare’s plays in 38 different languages.

The best bit about performing at the Globe? Well, everything really. The welcome and the international friends we made. The chance to hear Swahili spoken on one of the world’s great stages. The opportunity to be part of such an exciting ambitious artistic project. And for us as a company, our two performances were both amazing for different reasons. The first because it rained for the entire show but not a person left as the audience stood enraptured for 2 hours – I’ll never forget the actors weeping for joy after the curtain call – while our second show under a clear starry night to a packed house as the cast blew the roof off. The stuff dreams are made of.