The rehearsal began with the players enacting the intuited spirit animals of their characters. From peacock to jaguar and taking in an ostrich, their presentations accurately predicted the stage personas that would appear shortly after. Played with a lot of laughter, I could feel the warmth flowing between the cast members who already seemed gelled as a unit in their preparation for the play Boeing Boeing.
The cast & production team of “Boeing Boeing” at rehearsal
A perennial hit with both critics and audiences worldwide, the classic bedroom farce Boeing Boeing is being brought to the Nairobi stage, adapted by Jazz Moll and the company to be set in Nairobi, “the biggest bedroom south of the Sahara”.
The plot centres on bachelor Bernard (Raymond Karago) who is dating three flight attendants at the same time: Gouri – the elegant Indian beauty with a heart of gold played poutingly by Nixsha Shah; Gloria, Red Brenda’s fierce and fabulous Rwandan queen; and the fiery German Gretchen, who as actor Boke Maria shows, is not afraid to say exactly what’s on her mind.
Bernard capably juggles his love life, maintaining the precarious balance with carefully orchestrated flight schedules and the help of his reluctant housekeeper, Berthe (Nice Githinji). Inevitably flight schedules converge and the ladies are all in town and in Bernard’s apartment at the same time. Cue hijinks and hilarity as Bernard tries to prevent his fianceés from meeting.
While the actors are all strong in themselves, by their own admission, their talents have grown under the direction of Moll, whose directorial methods are somewhat unique in the theatre world. He likes the actors to have time to learn their characters and lean into their roles, hence the two months of pre-production rehearsals and long warm ups to begin each rehearsal.
The actors told me that in Nairobi it’s not unusual for a play to be put together from start to finish in only 2 weeks, including tech and dress rehearsals. They are luxuriating in this indulgent time frame of preparation to develop their characters and polish their comedic timing.
Kieran Ratanya, who takes the role of Bernard’s naive, upcountry friend Robert in the play, told me that because many shows are on a tight budget with a target, they have to move really fast. Whereas “Jazz approaches it sort of like it’s a classroom, so I find it very refreshing because I’m not in a rush and every day I learn something new; I’m doing stuff that apparently I’m able to do but I’ve never done before”.
Kieran Ratanya and Nixsha Shah rehearsing a scene
Well known for his excellent musical productions with Kenya Youth Theatre, I asked Moll whether he found big differences in directing a comedy:
I strongly believe, especially in a farce, that everything is choreographed like a dance. One person turns here and they react there, and it’s eventually just so smooth and so enjoyable to watch…
I was witness to some of the physical comedy choreography-building of the production. Even with newly formulated sequences, the flow was natural and the timing was impeccable, testament to the actors’ skills and the director’s craft. The trio of flight attendants rehearse their entrances and exits with military precision, each embodying their character’s distinct personality and accent.
I think it’s just a game; the rules of farce are slightly different, as long as you play to those rules, then it comes out.
The cast have collectively discussed their boundaries, which conversely has allowed them to be more free and open with each other on stage. Moll said that in theatre, it’s been common to “throw people on stage and just expect them to do this thing”, following the director’s instructions whether they made an actor uncomfortable or not. Instead, Moll feels that the production should start with a foundation of trust, establishing a code of conduct for moments that could potentially be uncomfortable for an actor.
If someone is not comfortable “there are a thousand other things you can do”. This also enforces a more collaborative direction. There is mental space for work-arounds and the actors feel comfortable suggesting alternatives. While I was there, Moll suggested a scene would be funnier if Bernard falls backward off the couch – Karago acquiesced without baulking, despite the very physical, and potentially painful! – nature of the move.
Karago said “there is constant energy and [the play is] physically demanding, so I feel very pushed as a performer, in a good way”.
From newcomer Boke Maria to force of the industry Nice Githinji (who most recently played Wangeci Wa Kiguunda in Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s I Will Marry When I Want), most of the actors come from a more dramatic background, which was surprising given how well they gave comedy. Red Brenda, who has been in several comedies, told me she is looking forward to experimenting more with comedy in this role.
The humour in farce comes from the characters believing they are in a serious situation, and from the audience feeling that their distress is relatable. Karago and Ratanya are successful at portraying this in the dissembling Bernard and bumbling Robert, respectively.
Already tight after 15 rehearsals, this cast’s chemistry and comedic choreography can only get better with another month of time together.
Don’t miss this wonderfully funny PG-13 comedy. Find out what happens to the hapless Bernard and company at Braeburn Theatre from 27 – 29 September.