Narrative Performance in a Changing World: The Case of the “Storytellers” in Kenya

Using the Storytellers as a case study, this article sets out to examine narrative performance in a changing world. The Storytellers are a semiprofessional theater company in Nairobi; the group is the only one of its kind in Kenya that is committed to the performance of oral narratives. In setting up the company, the Storytellers were responding to a need for the revival of an ancient custom, but they were also aware that, to ensure its survival, it had to be adapted to suit contemporary audiences.