Camila Alina and Miguel Matovu as Illiona and Steven Kodaly respectively in She Loves Me early this year at the National Theatre. PHOTO | ANDREW KAGGWA
On Sunday, Yenze Theatre Conservatoire premiered its debut documentary on YouTube. It is not every day that we are excited about content on YouTube, especially as theatre enthusiasts.
Well, what was dropped on the Yenze YouTube account was not just a video but a documentary, which gives us a behind-the-scenes pass to what went on during the rehearsals, the booking, and some critical organisations with both the press and the officials at the National Theatre.
This is the first time that a theatre production is giving the audience access to the nitty-gritty, which in one way or another is helping them appreciate the sweat and passion that went into the entire project.
So where do we find the production?
We met them in one of the early rehearsals, probably at the end of 2023; then, casting had just come together and everyone was still finding their rhythm. From Simeon Lakuc, one of the directors, we learn that they had an open call where actors showed up but many did not know so much about musicals.
“It was hard finding a person that was 360, dancing, singing, and acting; some people showed up and had no idea of musicals, thus asking if they could audition with a Rihanna song. But you’re still happy for the effort,” he says.
She Loves Me was staged at the National Theatre in July. The show follows coworkers who hate each other at the workplace but are corresponding anonymously through letters. But that’s just a nutshell of it; the story is much deeper than the co-workers; it captures jealousy, intrigue, and esteem.