Up close and personal: Queen Gathoni takes us through her journey of self

The woman behind Kenya’s biggest theatre hits is about to reveal the story that nearly killed her.

Gathoni Kimuyu has spent fifteen years creating other people’s narratives, from Machachari, to MaEmpress, to certified hit classic Too Early For Birds.

Moving from success to success, she has been the invisible force turning scripts into cultural moments.

Dubbed Producer of the Year (Kenya Theatre Awards 2024), she is well known for making magic happen behind the camera.

On November 28th, she steps into the light with the story that matters most: her own.

FREE ME is Gathoni’s first personal stage project, but it is also her truth about surviving a marriage that quickly became a war zone, and then finding freedom on the other side of that violence.

Based on her own experience, FREE ME follows one woman from teenager to survivor, through a relationship that promised love, but delivered brutality – played by a sterling cast comprising Nungari Kiore, Renee Gichuki, Joan Cherono, Ella Maina, and Gathoni Maina.

The original work that sparked this production was initially researched and written by Magunga Williams.

This production then transforms that story gold into art that could save lives. Its title works both ways: it is a desperate cry for help and a victory anthem for someone who made it out alive.

In Kenya, gender-based violence statistics climb higher each month. Gathoni knows her story carries weight beyond entertainment. She and many others have been lucky to be able to walk away, but few are.

Gathoni has reunited with Mugambi Nthiga, Director of the Year at the Kenya Theatre Awards for 2023 and 2024.

Their work on Too Early For Birds and Tom Mboya is legendary in Kenyan theatre, and needs no introduction for its reputation; Mugambi Nthiga has been a long-standing essential in Kenya’s art scene, much like Gathoni, and now, they are once again channelling that chemistry into Free Me.

Together, they will answer the question, How do you direct someone telling the story of their own survival?

How do you stage trauma without causing more harm? The answer involves five women on stage who embody different parts of a survivor’s journey: past selves, present realities, and future possibilities, all converging in one powerful story of resilience.

Saumu Kombo joins them, fresh from winning Best Scripted TV Series at the AMVCA 2025.

Her work spans Market Price to Midnight Train; Mercy Mutisya, Best Scriptwriter at the Women In Film Awards 2023, brings experience from Showmax, M-Net, and Netflix with productions like Untying Kantai and Click Click Bang under her belt. 

Why This Matters

This is theatre as activism, art as healing, and performance as permission to speak up and refuse to carry shame that was never yours.

For survivors, it offers validation. Your pain matters. Your survival counts. For everyone else, it is a stark reminder: the woman serving your coffee, directing your favourite show, sitting next to you in traffic, might be fighting battles you can’t imagine.

Gathoni spent fifteen years telling other people stories. Now she’s betting everything on her own truth.

In a world where too many women don’t make it out of violent relationships alive, watching someone who did is both heartbreaking and hopeful. Some stories demand to be told.

Some truths refuse to stay buried. This November, witness what happens when Gathoni Kimuyu – that’s Queen Gathoni to you - steps into the spotlight with hers. 

FREE ME opens at C.U. Shah Jain Bhavan in Loresho on Friday, November 28th at 7 PM. Shows continue through the weekend. Saturday at 3 PM and 7 PM, and Sunday at 3 PM and 7 PM.

Tickets are available here. 

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