The above question is the heart of STAY, an Abound Studios production that will be staged at the Kenya National Theatre on 24th and 25th October 2026 which is UN’s World Mental Health Month.
Exploring trauma, grief, faith, masculinity, love, loss, vulnerability, surrender and the resilience of the human spirit, STAY follows David, a police officer whose carefully controlled life begins to unravel as he struggles to reconcile duty, loss and the weight of everything he has learned to carry in silence. As a first responder operating within an institution that demands resilience but often leaves little room for vulnerability, David’s journey raises questions about institutional trauma, the hidden cost of service and how systems respond to those entrusted with protecting others.
Alongside him is Kui, a young dance therapist navigating the realities of a malignant brain tumour with extraordinary grace. Her quiet way of meeting suffering challenges everything David believes about strength, control and survival.
Through their unexpected connection, STAY becomes more than a story about trauma or illness. It is an exploration of what it means to remain human when life refuses easy answers and what it takes to choose to stay.
STAY aims to strike a balance in its subject matter, to not just air them but also deliver a worthy storytelling experience, as writer and producer confirms.
The intention, however, is not to make a preachy production. Neither is it to strip the story of its faith in order to make it more comfortable or universally palatable. STAY exists in the space between different worldviews, beliefs, doubts and the questions we carry about life, suffering, people and God.
– Naomi Gichuki, STAY Writer and Producer
Grab your tickets to STAY here
See you on the 24th and 25th October at the Kenya National Theatre
