A story of war. Yet the war in question is in the battlefield of the mind, even as the heart beats and beats and beats again. Coming together with the warrior drums in a crescendo of passionate emotions of love, loss and hope.
1952, Kristina (Michelle Tayars) recounts the love story between her and her dead husband Peter (Peter Saisi) who was recruited by the colonialist to fight in the second world war only for Kristina and her daughter Nyambura (Naomi Wairimu) not to hear anything about him for seven years despite the majority of the other soldiers returning to their families.
Nyambura, now a freedom fighter, and a member of the K K Rebels, a group formed to fight for independence, is at a crossroads with her mother who doesn’t wish for the devastations of war to be inflicted on her daughter as it did on her husband Peter who ends up standing on her doorstep alive and well.
Peter reveals that after fighting in the second world war with the expectation of returning home, he was reassigned to fight in Burma and that he wrote letters to Kristina who claims didn’t receive any. Kristina braces to introduce Nyambura to her father who confesses that she already knows who he is through his letters which she hid from her mother for she believes Peter is a traitor fighting for the oppressors.
This in turn breeds a rivalry between father and daughter at the height of Peter experiencing PTSD so advanced that he ends up harming his wife unknowingly.
Governor Evelyn Baring issues an order for all ex-soldiers to take up arms to fight against the K K Rebels, Peter heeds the call, off to fight the same group her daughter is devoted to. At the height of battle, Peter manages to rescue his injured daughter who was part of causing many casualties, an act seen as a betrayal by the British Home Guards, forcing Peter to fight against the oppressors, thus gaining approval from his daughter.
Filled with soul-stirring moments backed up by astounding performances from the cast, DRUMS OF WAR, written and directed by Marvin Kibicho, portrays a clear picture of the unaddressed devastation faced by the ex-soldiers forced to fight for the oppressors who inflicted hardship on them and their families.
Depicting a candid picture fitting the 1950s timeline, the set was well administered, portraying a fitting look and feel for the play.
Themes of Love, Loss and Hope drove the story with the music, lighting and sound effects conjoining beautifully to depict these.
Son of Man productions showcased an unforgettable story and I for one cannot wait to hear what they have instore for the future. Follow them on their social media platforms so as to get updated on their upcoming productions via the links below; https://www.instagram.com/son_of_man_media/ https://web.facebook.com/sonofmanmedia
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