Thayù - Writer x Director
The eccentric, reclusive writer set to break your hearts and take you on an emotional roller-coaster. Blooms in the Dark is written and directed by Thayù. Spoiler alert: though the stories are fictional, some of the narratives in this tale might have been borrowed lightly (or heavily) from their experiences.
Thayù’s bio reads like an encyclopedia—an award winning, creative powerhouse with a filmography portfolio of over 100 films and documentaries and over 24 published works as an author. They are a visionary storyteller who fosters communities, both physical and virtual, by creating galleries, graphic novels, games, shoes, apparel, and furniture from abandoned buildings and even friends' backyards—anywhere their imagination can thrive.
Utilizing film, technology, digital art, books, and any other available tool, Thayù unleashes the torrent of creative ideas that swirl within their mind. But Thayù’s creativity doesn't end there. They are also committed to making the world a better place through their organization, Creatives Garage, which empowers creatives to pursue their dreams.
Wanjiku Mwawuganga - Co-Director x Dramaturg x Vocalist
The genius Wanjiku brings the spice into this broth with her multifaceted talents. Apart from co-directing and being a dramaturg in Blooms in the Dark, she will also be on stage as an electrifying singer, a talent recently discovered within the confines of her bathroom. Her unspoken (off-contract) role, which she takes seriously, is encouraging the scriptwriter to infuse more madness into the script.
She is a Kenyan theatre maker inspired by works that break taboos and embrace vulnerability and self-excavation. She is an alumna of the DAH Theatre International Summer School, class of 2019, and a scholarship holder of the Zürcher Theater Spektakel 2020 Watch and Talk. Her new work, Where Did You See My Fear? is currently in its developmental stage.
Hellen Masido - Producer
Hellen Masido, AKA Sido, is our "I know a guy," AKA the fixer. She ensures everything runs as smoothly as your ex’s lines.
Hellen Masido is a writer, filmmaker, and producer with a degree in Film and Theatre from Kenyatta University. She enjoys painting, reading, and gardening, among other things. A self-confessed weirdo, she enjoys fusing her diverse skills into the projects she undertakes. She has been a stage manager, props manager, and executive producer in the much-acclaimed theatrical production Too Early for Birds.
Chadota: Stage manager
Chadota is the voice of reason, constantly reminding the director that it is a "run" and not a "take," and it is "upstage left" and not "hapo juu." (Up there).
With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Performing Arts and Film Technology, Chadota is a multi-faceted, award-winning artist. The two-time Best Director Award winner at the Molière Universities Challenge is an actor, singer (Soprano 2), budding director, and steadily growing stage manager. Some of the works she has been instrumental in include Graveyard Queens, Daiverse, Will Marry When I Want by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, and Too Early for Birds.
Faith Rose - Props Manager x Actor
When you first meet Faith, she may appear quiet, but don’t be fooled by this demeanor. She is tenacious and solution-oriented— if you need a cat to look and sound like a dog, she's the one you need to talk to.
An artist in many ways, Faith is currently an interior design student and oversees wardrobe and props at Creatives Garage. She has also been a featured cast member in productions such as The Watch as a goon, Personal Space, and My Samuel. In Blooms in the Dark, she plays the roles of a guard and a waitress.
Mumbi Muguongo - Costume Designer
Mumbi probably receives the equivalent of ‘make the logo bigger’ or ‘I think you should change it’ without getting proper feedback from the director. Luckily for the director, Mumbi’s affection for fabric is akin to lovers at Uhuru Park and her work ethic, your tailor could never.
With over 20 years of experience as a fashion designer, Mumbi is not to be confused with the guys who swear by ‘itakuwa ready kesho’. She has created amazing pieces over the years, having worked with the crème dela crème of the Kenyan elite and marketing agencies to create costumes for top brands. In blooms in the dark, she is tasked with ‘piecing’ the show together with eclectic fashion statements. and stitching the characters to life (gerrit!).
Muthoni Gathecha
The audacious, the bold, the woman, the legend, the full-of-life Muthoni Gathecha plays Mama Maurice, a woman suffering loss, and Wairimu, a 60-year-old woman experiencing genuine but forbidden love.
Muthoni’s filmography is longer than a lover’s letter, and her accolades are as numerous as the government's problems. She is an accomplished actor with 10+ years Of experience performing in film, and television shows aired at the Cannes Film Festival, Netflix. Mnet Africa, and on local television stations in Kenya. Principle character in various TV shows like KONA, a 250-episode series aired On Mnet Africa. Also cast in I0 movies on Africa Magic Original Films. Achieved various awards and nominations to date including the Kim Renders Outstanding Performance Award (2019).
Riki Gathariki
Riki’s voice is the epitome of "kumtoa nyoka pangoni" (a voice that can bring forth serpents from their cave). In Blooms in the Dark, he plays the prayer-spitting warrior, Wanyonyi, who has secrets deeper than the deep state that are finally exposed. Riki also lends his voice as the male vocalist and music director.
Riki Gathariki is an award-winning performing artist. A singer, songwriter, composer, and actor, he has amassed a vast amount of knowledge in the craft mainly through hands-on experience.
Riki has shared stages with some of the country’s top performing artists. He has written and directed music for two musicals, Crazy the Musical (2016) and The End of Love (2019), and starred in several more.
He is part of the talented Kenyan Vocal Collective and pop act Wanavokali, where he serves as Music Director.
Obel Joseph
All we can say is you are not even ready! If vivacity were a person, it would probably be Obel. Obel serves sassiness, style, and face as Henrietta. He also intricately uses movement as a contemporary dancer in the play.
A man of many talents, Obel Joseph is an actor, a performance artist, a fashion model, and an infinite magic. Obel uses his body as the canvas through which he communicates about issues that matter to him, including pleasure, and how our bodies and rivers share a common trait: the ability to flow. Obel is a two-time nominee for the Kenya Theatre Awards as Best Solo Performance Artist. He studied Theatre Arts and Film at Kenyatta University and completed a short playwriting course at the National Queer Theater in New York. His work has been shown in Kenya and in Seoul, South Korea, at the festival Kill Time Trash.
Seise Baĝbo
Baĝbo is our eclectic, fashionable, ‘doesn't color within the lines—because what are lines anyway’—human. Their style of fashion leaves all of us questioning our wardrobe choices. Their intelligent jokes might pass over some of our heads, so you might have to carry a thesaurus to the show. Baĝbo plays Kanini, a character who would rather die than conform, and Larry, a corny yet a hopeless, ‘I will even wash her knickers because I love her’ romantic kinda human.
Seise Baĝbo is an anti-disciplinary, gender-expansive performing artist, creator, and educator who uses their experience as a canvas to both project to and from.
Their work is rooted in consistent community building, justice seeking, and practicing freedom. They create through movement, spoken word, written word, sound, and other mediums.
The work they create, perform, or educate on is meant for all those who reach out to it.
Tana Gachoka
Tana is probably the comeback connoisseur in this play because she dishes out those lines like a Michelin star chef. Tana plays Beatrice, a top achiever with somewhat (OK, really) annoying aunties and a sexual buffet appetite. She also plays the spoiled, 'I want princess treatment' Muringe.
Tana Gachoka is a 22-year-old actor and creative who has appeared on stage in The Sound of Music, Kesho Amahoro, and For Coloured Girls. Her television and film roles have included Paa - Born to Fly, Mercy, 1000 Shillings in Nairobi, and A Better Life.
Riann is Msani
The electrifying Riann Msani switches between playing a sensual woman at the bus stop, intricately describing her object of interest, and a fun-loving, self-absorbed woman with a drizzle of toxic masculinity.
She is an intersectional feminist, a women's human rights defender, the founder and executive director of Mirror Arts, a queer artists' collective, and a multidisciplinary artivist who uses her art to give voice to life experiences. Riann creates through performance art, directing, and writing.
Brian Njonge
If multi-disciplinary was a guy, it would be Brian. He is a versatile performing and recording artist with a background in musical theater, dance, and vocal performances.
In Blooms in the Dark, Brian acts as Kama, your average guy living in a DSQ on the other side of town, navigating the burdensome taxes imposed by the government while hoping to find love without being taxed for it. He also portrays the over-the-top, high-spirited, go-getter Karis, whose antics may be so outrageous that they could lead to censorship. Brian also doubles up as our choreographer.
From contributing vocals to ballet productions and evolving into a choreographer at Spellcast Media Ke, Brian has demonstrated artistic growth, reaching the finals of East Africa's Got Talent. Currently focusing on a solo career as a singer/songwriter and cover artist, Brian aims to spread hope and African pride through his art.
Koome Kinoti
This fine gentleman is quite the heartbreaker—or is he the one whose heart is broken? We're not sure! Koome plays John, a gentle spirit full of love in Blooms in the Dark.
Koome Kinoti is a Kenyan actor and writer. In 2021, he made his on-screen debut in the first Kenyan Showmax Original, "Crime and Justice" (2021-2022), as Yaro. Since then, he's worked on Choices (2022), a web series by Foxton Media where he plays the lead character Kush, and more recently made an appearance in Showmax’s Big Girl Small World (2024). He also doubles up as a set designer and props master with credits on Netflix’s Anyango and The Ogre (2023), Showmax’s Second Family (2023), and Inheritance (2024). He holds a degree in Literature, Theatre, and Film.
Anita Njeri
If there were ever a noise maker list on set, Anita’s name would be permanently etched on it and would technically reside in the head teacher’s, READ director’s, office. Anita plays Susan, a witty individual full of sarcasm, and a quirky human she decided to name Alek because the writer’s name wasn’t giving (I guess the quirkiness goes far deep).
Anita Njeri is making a comeback to the acting scene after a decade-long hiatus, and in her words, 'it feels like running into an old flame in a bar and finding it still hot'. Theater and drama have stuck with her both on and off stage; a sense of zooming into dialogues and reflections and expressing through drama. She has always felt most alive before an audience and finds theater as a safe space for all kinds of conversation. She loves her coffee black, her wine red and her relationships, SPICY.
Anariko
If I were ever in a relationship (call me if you’re searching, my number is 0722...), I would want my strings strummed like how Anariko gently (or not) strokes his guitar (goosebumps). Anariko joins this band of thieves (who’ll steal your heart and then crash it), okay fine, a bunch of amazing creatives (Producer said we edit that or else the band walks), on stage as part of a three-piece band serving music like feelings.
Anariko is a multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and composer who works on integrating and combining traditional African rhythms to create new and unexplored soundscapes. He has collaborated with a number of artists such as Zaituni Wambui and Meryl Paige, among others. He aims to use music to inspire and communicate without words, speaking directly to your soul.
Zaituni Wambui
The first day I had Zaituni sing I was transported to my first memory of happiness and I just wanted to stay there. Zaituni's remarkable voice joins our three piece band to lend the perfect soundtrack to this amazing show. Head out to spotify and treat yourself to some of her music in anticipation for what she brings to the performance.
Reuben Benedict
If triple threat was a person it would be Reuben. He is a photographer, film maker and a Make-up artist. Reuben joins us as our photographer for blooms in the dark.
Santuri
If you asked for unsolicited information about Santuri, most would describe him as cloistered or sequestered, maybe even liken him to a hermit. But don’t let his eremitic ways fool you—this guy comes in hot with his BPM, setting us off on a musical cruise.
He is a highly respected producer with a passion for all kinds of music. As a recording and audio engineer, he specializes in hip-hop production, audio design, and recording, including mixing and mastering. He has worked on films, documentaries, podcasts, and albums with some of Kenya’s great acts.
In Blooms in the Dark, he is the sound designer and plays the sound character.
Marion Olendo
In Blooms in the Dark, Marion might be a shadow, mimicking society and its judgments. She might even ghost you after your first date, but what we know for sure is that she is as memorable as your first love.
Marion, a 22-year-old cosmetologist and actor by profession, has worked in several productions such as Zari, Hello Mr. Right, and Big City Bros. She is currently dipping her feet into theatre as a background actor in Blooms in the Dark.
Lydia Ndirangu
Probably the most polite of the group, Lydia brings a sense of Zen amidst all the chaos. In Blooms in the Dark, she plays a shadow, a portrayal of society.
Abiud Motari
If you ever wanted to meet the textbook definition of ‘kijana handsome’, ‘kijana shupavu,’ ‘Kijana Hodari’ then you need to meet Abiud. This guy has moves for days, and his smile—gai—it gets us every time.
In Blooms in the Dark, Abiud plays a shadow, reminding you of all the things you hide in the depths of your heart.
Churchill Otieno
He has a mystery in him that draws you in—it must be the shimmery beams in his intense eyes when he smiles. Churchill also plays a shadow in Blooms in the Dark.
Churchill Otieno, known artistically as Churchill Pappylitto, is an actor, contortionist, and yogi. He has appeared on Showmax and Netflix. Some of the TV series he has been featured in include Single Kiasi, Big Girl Small World, Volume, Shanga, and Zari. He has also appeared as a professional contortionist on several local TV shows.
As a yogi, he practices and teaches yoga for wellness and spiritual growth. He has presented his work at the UN Headquarters and conducted classes with influential figures in the country, including the American ambassador to Kenya.
Tamar
If Tamar was in a movie, it would definitely be a chic flick movie because her hair is always on fleek (Dad jokes loading…) Tamar joins Blooms in the Dark as a stage assistant.
Amanda
If Blooms in the Dark rehearsals was a school, Amanda would be the bell ringer. One of Amanda’s roles on set that she takes seriously is serving reality checks to the Director on time management. She joins the crew as a stage assistant.
Leah
Her calm demeanor is such a beautiful inclusion to this fold. Leah brings the calm in the storm that is Blooms in the dark. She joins us as a stage assistant