File photo: The 43-foot portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the largest ever portrait made of the father of the nation, is installed at TSC in Dhaka University on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 Collected

The epic monologue has previously been presented at different theatres and universities in Asia and Europe
 

Kistrech Theatre International in collaboration with Kenyan state-run educational institute, Kisii University, will perform a play on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the university campus, at theatre, and on buses in Nairobi and Kisii cities in October 2021.

Bangali-Swedish poet and playwright Anisur Rahman has written the play, "I am Sheikh Mujib," an epic monologue on Bangabandhu's life and works, a press release said.

The epic monologue, originally written in Bangla, depicts the 20th century freedom struggle on the Indian subcontinent through the voice of Bangabandhu - from British colonial times to the first tentative years of independent Bangladesh under his leadership.

Internationally well-known Kenyan theatre academic, theatre director and poet Dr Christopher Okemwa is directing the play along with two other plays by the same author as part of the theatre course program at his university.

Students of theatre at Kisii University will study and research on Anisur's three plays that include "I am Sheikh Mujib," "Dawit Isaak," and "Minister & Wolf."

Anisur is scheduled to make his visit to Kenya to deliver lectures, take part in views exchange, and reading at Kisii University and Kistrech Poetry Festival in connection with the performance of the plays, the press statement said.

Recently a leading theatre in Kathmandu called the One World Theatre has premiered the play in Nepalese and English language.

About the plays, Christopher Okemwa, director of Kistrech Theatre International and a teacher of theatre and poetry at Kisii University, said human rights violation is a universal theme and the plays are very relevant to Kenyan society and contain suitable materials for the drama students.

He said: "…The play, I am Sheikh Mujib, the epic piece, tells insight of colonial as well as post-colonial perspectives of Indian subcontinent, for instance Bangladesh."

The epic monologue has previously been presented at different theatres and universities, including Jahangirnagar University, Lund University, Wiks folkhögskola, and University of Wales Trinity Saint David, in Asia and Europe in diverse languages.

International publishing house, Dracopis Press is bringing its English edition in the USA and Europe simultaneously, it added.