Captain Otoyo, Nyce Wanjeri earn nominations for the Kenya Theatre Awards 2023
Captain Otoyo Sibuor, one of Kenya’s top comedians and actor; and actress Nyce Wanjeri of the Aunty Boss fame are among the nominees in the upcoming Kenya Theatre Awards set to take place on February 23, 2023, at the Kenya Cultural Center incorporating the National Theatre (KCC-NT) in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Kenya Theatre Awards is an annual event that recognizes and celebrates excellence in the Kenyan theatre industry. The awards honor talented actors, directors, writers, designers, and other theatre professionals for their outstanding performances and contributions to the industry.
The nominees were selected from 100 theatre companies and 170 productions that took place in the year 2022. Most of the plays were staged more than once, making up a total of 503 shows as recorded by the Kenya Theatre Awards Secretariat.
The final number of categories summed up to 32 competitive ones and four special award categories. These categories include Best Musical Theatre Production, Best Musical Score, Arrangement or Adaptation, Best Sound Design, Best Original Choreography in a Musical/Play, Best Dance Theatre, Best Production, Best Spoken Word Production, Best Standup Comedy Production (Otoyo was nominated here), Best Storytelling Production, Best Male Performance in a Solo Production and Best Female Performance in a Solo Production.
Other categories include Best Breakthrough Male Performer, Best Breakthrough Female Performer, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Play), Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Play), Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (Play), Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Play) (Nyce Wanjeri was nominated here), Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Monologue, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Monologue, Best University/College Theatre Group, Theatre Company of the Year, Best Children’s Play, Best Two-hander Production, Best Lighting Design, Best Stage Manager and Best Set Design among other categories.
Benson Ngobia, the Chairperson of the Kenya Theatre Awards Jury said, “As a member of the jury, I can say that this year’s nominees were held to an incredibly high standard. The quality of work produced in the Kenyan theatre industry in 2022 was truly outstanding, making the selection process incredibly difficult. We were impressed by the level of creativity and skill displayed by all nominees and it is clear that the industry is thriving. We are excited to see the impact that these talented individuals and organizations will have in the coming years and I am honored to have been a part of the process of recognizing their achievements through the Kenya Theatre Awards.”
The Jury votes made up 80% of the decision while the public vote made up 20% of the decisions on which nominees would win in their respective categories.
Other notable nominees for the 2023 Awards were Nice Githinji, Sarakasi Trust, Cyprian Osoro (alias Osoroosoro), Nick Kwach, Brian Ogola, Patricia Kihoro, Nick Ndeda, Karen Kaz Lucas and Mkisii Ni Mkisii.
Also read: Ayub Savula hits out on Gachagua’s over ‘state favours’
Museveni’s brother Salim Saleh chairs security meeting on Kenyan banditry
Eric Omondi arrested while protesting over high cost of living