Kenya theatre festival KITFest stages ticketed shows 4–15 November in Nairobi; tickets from KSh 350

The Kenya International Theatre Festival (KITFest) will stage ticketed shows at the Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi from 4 to 15 November, with productions from Kenya and 16 other countries. Single tickets start at KSh 350 and festival passes cost KSh 2,000 to KSh 13,000. Both are sold on the booking platform TheatreKE.

KITFest gives its dates as 3 to 15 November; the first ticketed performance is on 4 November. The theatre is on Harry Thuku Road in central Nairobi, and shows use four spaces: the Main Auditorium, Ukumbi Mdogo, Cheche and an outdoor stage, the Brazil-based English-language news site The Rio Times reported on 15 October.

Single-show prices differ by production. The programme listing gives KSh 350 as the starting price for most shows. My Son, My Sin (4 November, 14:00, Main Auditorium) has three tiers: advance KSh 850, student KSh 350 and couple KSh 1,400.

Penalty (8 November, 14:00, Main Auditorium) has one tier, advance KSh 1,500. Story Za Thuita (8 and 15 November, 11:00, outdoor stage) charges KSh 1,000 for students, KSh 1,500 for local residents, KSh 2,500 for non-residents, KSh 2,800 for a couple and KSh 6,500 for a group of five.

Four passes are on sale through TheatreKE, according to the KITFest pass page:

• Day Pass, KSh 2,000: all paid performances on one chosen day, entry to the Night Experience and priority seat reservation.
• Curated 5-Show Pass, KSh 4,800: any five paid shows on flexible dates, with Night Experience entry. KITFest says it saves over 20% against single tickets.
• Week Pass, KSh 7,000: all paid shows in week one or week two, a Night Experience all-access badge and fast-track entry.
• Season Pass, KSh 13,000: all paid shows over the 12-day run, all Night Experience events, VIP opening and closing receptions and a free festival programme.

Poetry After Lunch, on the outdoor stage at 14:00 on 5 and 12 November, is free and walk-in, with no reservation needed. It offers spoken word, storytelling and acoustic acts in English and Kiswahili. The TheatreKE listing also marks as free the Ugandan Twali Banji Audio Installation (7 November, 14:00, outdoor stage) and Mushikishiki Vibes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (11 November, 14:00, outdoor stage).

Foreign productions on the listing include Octopus Garden from Venezuela (4 November, 18:00), Palunko's Wife from Croatia (5 November, 16:00), After Silence from Brazil (5 November, 19:00), Romeo and Juliet a love in pasta from Argentina (6 November, 19:00), Guerrier from Canada (7 November, 17:00) and Sakuntala: A Love Lore from India (9 November, 19:00). Kenyan productions include Lion King Jr. Musical in the Main Auditorium on 7 November at 11:00 and 14:00.

China's entry is the 70-minute concert Golden Bell Resounds · Harmony Along the Silk Road, on 14 November at 19:00 in the Main Auditorium. TheatreKE says it is co-hosted by the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Beijing Musicians Association and presented by the China Performing Arts Agency (CPAA). Tickets cost KSh 850 in advance, KSh 350 for students and KSh 1,400 for a couple.

The African Theatre Market (ATM), a professional programme inside the festival, runs from 6 to 8 November at the Kenya Cultural Centre in Nairobi. The KITFest Trust organises it for festival and artistic directors, programmers, venue presenters, producers and company managers, and for representatives of cultural agencies and funders. Delegates apply or are invited, and a short interest form sets their one-to-one meeting schedules. Capacity is limited. No fee is listed, and registered delegates get free entry to all shows over the weekend.

KITFest also invites the public to sponsor seats for children and for guests living with a disability. KSh 1,100 covers one guest's ticket, transport, a meal and a stage tour. Payment is by Paystack or Paybill 247247, account 337380.