Regizor:John Wasonga

John Wasonga was one of the Africalia Creativity is life 2020 residency winners where he created a podcast https://anchor.fm/john-wasonga. He is one of the leading theatre directors in Kenya, based in the coastal town of Mombasa. He got into professional performance in 2006, with The Traveling Theatre Troupe then went to practice his art with Sponsored Arts for Education (S.A.F.E), he then joined The Theatre Company in 2012 where he was instrumental in creation and performance of performances such as Shungwaaya, Attack of the Shidas and Kimbia. He is currently the Creative director for Jukwaa Arts Productions in Mombasa.

Wasonga creates from his experiences of the world around him working on transforming his audiences to have a different view of the world. Empathy, rage, revenge, celebration, death, friendship and spiritualism are some of his creative sparks. He tells stories of day-to-day struggles and challenges, wins, love and human existence.

Most recently he has directed an ongoing Radio drama Tabasamu and a community theatre drama that have been commissioned due to the outbreak of COVID 19. He has also directed Caroline Ngorobi’s Jaazi Yaelea, which was part of her performance at the 2020 Bakanal de Afrique Fellowship.

At Jukwaa Arts Productions, Wasonga has directed Who Killed Change (2019), colorless flowers (2019), Beautiful trouble (2018), black milk (2016), lessons from the wild 1 and 2, Honest Liar, Lips that Bite (2017), Wet Water (2016), Yes I don’t (2016) among many other plays.

Wasonga has worked over the years from an amateur actor to a professional theatre director and a theatre coach. He was part of The Theatre Company of Kenya’s beginner’s level, intermediate, T.O.T and the Performance Lab.