In the heat of a November night in 1978, after eight years of civil war, four-year-old Nick and his mother flee their homeland of Uganda. What unfolds is a story of those who find themselves exiled, told through a series of voices echoing from varying states of darkness.

THE DARK

Written by Nick Makoha (United Kingdom)

Directed by NJ Agwuna

CAST

Petrina Ampeire, Joyce (rebel radio) and Ouma (boy soldier)

Robert K Benson, Mr. Fairfax and Customs Officer

Shadrack Boakye, Soldier, Shopkeeper, and Baba Nick

Shiro Kihagi, Mama Nick

Cici Koueth, Mirembe

Julia Kwamya, Fatima and Camera Woman

Irungu Mutu, Narrator Nick and Young Nick

Chris Okawa, Ocheng, Opio, and Kigo

James Okungu, Old Man, Radio Uganda, Sergeant 853, and Kimathi

PRODUCTION

Andrew Agress, Literary Manager

Gavin Browning, Director of Public Programs & Engagement

Natalie Layne Baker, Sound Editor 

Jessi Cotter, Production Manager

Caroline Eng, Sound Designer

Jordan Fleming, Student Producer

Irungu Mutu, Dialect Coach

Jim Petty with Five Ohm Productions, Audio Engineer

Zoe E. Rotter, Casting Director

Kanika Vaish, Literary Manager

Daniel Vaughn, Stage Manager

FESTIVAL CO-FOUNDERS

Carol Becker, Dean of Columbia University School of the Arts

David Henry Hwang, MFA Theatre Program, Columbia University School of the Arts

Special thanks to the following, who created some of the sounds you heard in today’s episode and made them available through freesound.org: vedas, malupeeters, Vortichez, Veridiansunrise, mariadrrs, dj997, jobro, mansardian, daveincamas, bone666138, calpomatt, washout, suoitnop, lgarrett, Jay_You, bigmanjoe, kevp888, Erdie, newagesoup, cgrote, CastIronCarousel, stomachache, Almusic34, Thalamus_Lab, digifishmusic, straget

© 2021 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.