Derrick Amunga and Angel Waruinge in a past theatrical performance. File
By Margaretta wa Gacheru
In Summary
He was an actor who literally lit up a stage, whether he played a waiter, househelp or crooked conman.
Derrick Amunga was the sort of actor that gave the
public so much pleasure that I, for one, wouldn’t want to miss a single
production that he was in. One of the finest and funniest physical
comedians in Kenya, his performances invariably made the crowds go wild
with laughter.
He had a special gift; yet he remained humble, approachable
and consistently disciplined as an actor and director, no matter whether
he was acting in Festival of Creative Arts (FCA) productions or on TV
sets starring in any one of more than a dozen local soap operas,
including Tahidi High where he was one of the “pioneer” performers and
Suga where he played the Master Suga.
This is why news of his recent demise in a road
accident compelled me to say something about what a jewel in the crown
of contemporary theatre we have lost with his sudden departure.
He was an actor who literally lit up a stage,
whether he played a waiter, househelp or crooked conman. The sort of
“fool” that Shakespeare loved having in all of his comedies, Amunga
never minded playing the buffoon or even the foolish, sly fox. The
audience invariably knew he would come up with wonderful punch lines
that hit the mark and tickled their funny bone.
To say that he was in the prime of his life and at
the top of his game is not a stretch of the imagination since at the
time of the accident he had just finished acting in and directing the
FCA comedy, Trapped at Alliance Francaise last month.
And he was preparing to direct two more FCA
productions, a comedy called Forbidden which was scheduled to run from
September 18-21 and a thriller entitled It’s Back scheduled to be staged
in October, both at Alliance.
Details about his death are scanty. What we do know
is that he was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital and immediately
taken to the intensive care unit where he passed on Sunday morning.
It may be difficult to fill Amunga’s shoes since he
was a marvellous actor who ensured that FCA shows were invariably a
sell-out, full-house event at every one of their productions, even when
the popular theatre company shifted its shows to Kenya National Theatre.
He was also increasingly taking on the director’s
role, which delighted FCA producer Eliud Abuto no end since Amunga, in
addition to being an incredible actor and comedian, was an outstanding
drama teacher.
“He helped me a great deal to train new and
up-and-coming actors, giving them the same sort of confidence and ease
that Amunga had himself,” said Abuto.
Having joined FCA in 2005, Amunga performed in more
than 40 of their productions. His forte was clearly comedy, but he was
also a star in thrillers like Dirty Sexy Money and Trap for a Lonely
Man.
Among the most memorable comedies that Amunga
starred in (even when he had a minor role, playing a cook, waiter or
clerk, he couldn’t help being a star!) were When Did You Last See Your
Trousers, It Can Damage Your Health, Key For 2, Beside Manners, Wrath of
a Woman Scorned and Trapped. But his versatility was often seen when he
performed in shows like She Ate the Female Cassava and musicals like
Waka Waka.
Fellow actors, family and friends have already
begun meeting to ensure Amunga will not be soon forgotten. Some are
thinking about a monument or sculpture or even a plaque made in his
name.
Others are organising a website to feature
everything they can to memorialise him, including photographs of him in
plays and on TV.
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