Eddy Kimani (Louis Njoroge)

Mercy M. Mutisya (Jacinda)

Melvin Alusa (Policeman / CID)

Mercy Nyambura (Esther & housekeeper)

Juliani

Udulele John

I am immensely grateful to everyone who helped make
Tales of the Accidental City a reality.

The play would not have been possible without the original stories. I am eternally thankful to Sitawa Namwalie, Margaret Muthee and Kevin Mwachiro for allowing me to play with their characters and stories and to put them together in a newly imagined setting.

To the fantastic cast, thank you for your enthusiasm. You made it even better than I had imagined it!

To Sarah Mallia, our production coordinator. I couldn’t have done it without you. You are one in a million!

To Jacqueline Rance, our sound editor extraordinaire. She not only brought her years of experience to the table but also immense patience. And to Benjamin Kiplaglat our tech producer in Nairobi, thank you for holding my hand in the studio.

To Faith Musembi (Editor) and Greg Kiwo (DOP), for turning the play into a film. And it’s true that it takes a family to make a film! My immense gratitude to Caroline Mbula (First Assistant Director), Vickta Joe and Desmond Okeyo (Sound), Vivian Njeri (Props) and Beverlyn Atisa (Production Assistant).

To Matthew Swallow, a.k.a DJ Lasta, thanks for your passion for urban Kenyan music and for all the coordination work that you did. And to the fantastic musicians who allowed us to use their music to enrich the work – Juliani, Mbogi Konnection, Shaman Laika, Ngalah Oreyo, Akoth Jumadi and Kevin Munyi, asante sana.

To Chief Nyamweya, your illustrations always blow my mind, thank you!

A very special thanks to those, near and far, who read the play script during the various stages of development and offered invaluable advice: Aroji Otieno, Wakanyi Hoffman, Mumbi Kaigwa, Margaretta Wa Gacheru, Faith Oneya, Brian Ogola, Neema Bagamuhunda, Sitawa Namwalie and Margaret Muthee.

And last but not least, to Bodour al Qasimi and Dr. Robert Nantchouang and to your teams at the African Publishers Innovation Fund and African Culture Fund. You provided not only the money to make this possible but more importantly, you supported our vision to bring African literature to wider audiences through audio and performance. Shukran!

With love and gratitude,

Maïmouna