Nairobi’s celebrated historical theatre movement, Too Early For Birds, is set to bring back its hit ninth edition, Shawry For Trees: The Wangarĩ Maathai Edition, for a rerun this September. First staged to critical acclaim in April, the production returns to the stage at the 800-seater Jain Bhavan Auditorium in Nairobi from September 25 to 27, 2026.
The rerun coincides with the anniversary of Professor Maathai’s passing, a alignment the production team views as a powerful call to action. Marking 15 years since the Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s death, the show honors the life, controversies, seminal moments, and enduring legacy of the environmental icon.
Show details
- Dates: Friday, September 25 – Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Venue: Jain Bhavan (Shree Sthanakvasi Jain Sangh), Nairobi
- Performances: Friday, Sept 25: 7:00 PM, Saturday, Sept 26: 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM and Sunday, Sept 27: 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Professor Wangarĩ Maathai, a mother, academic, politician, author, and the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, stands as one of the continent’s most revered figures. The production uses theatrical storytelling, rooted in African oral traditions (orature), to connect Maathai’s historic resistance with contemporary issues facing Kenya today.
The story was thoroughly researched by Ngartia, Kĩmemia Macharia, Nyagũthiĩ A. Murage, Meran Randa, and Mũthoni Mwangi, and scripted by Abigail Arunga, Wacuka Mũngai, and Ras Mengesha under the editorial direction of Ndinda Kioko. Produced by Sheba Hirst with marketing led by Mũtwĩri Njagĩ, the stage effort brings Maathai’s history to life through dynamic retellings and ancestral themes.
The production features a cast led by Akinyi Oluoch and Red Brenda (Red Cinema), alongside Karimi Rimbui, Faith Kahiro (Click Click Bang, Sarafina), Shiviske Shivisi (40 Sticks), Diya Vaya, Samson Omondi (Anam’s Wake), Charles Gachanja (Shadows Of The Cloth), and Joe Kinyua (Njoro wa Uba).
Founded in 2017 following a collaboration between writer Owaahh and performing artists Ngartia and Abu Sense, Too Early For Birds is executive produced by Story Zetu. The series reimagines Kenyan history for contemporary audiences, having previously explored the lives of Tom Mboya, Zarina Patel, Timothy Njoya, and Field Marshal Muthoni Wa Kirima. Across eight prior editions, the project has sold out over 90% of its 40 stagings, drastically reshaping theatrical production and cultural archiving in Kenya.