From Radio Play to Historical Stage: ‘Ye Demena Dankiregnoch’ Returns to Hager Fikir
The acclaimed theatrical production 'Ye Demena Dankiregnoch,' written by veteran playwright Wodneh Kifle and directed by Alemtsehai Ejigu, has returned to Addis Ababa's historic Hager Fikir Theatre. Originally conceived as a radio drama in 2008, the tragicomedy explores themes of moral accountability, family, and human choices despite facing high advertising costs and rehearsal space constraints. Audiences have warmly received the production's return, which is set for an extended run.
Theatre enthusiasts recently gathered outside the historic Hager Fikir Theatre for the return of "Ye Demena Dankiregnoch," a play with an unusually long road to the stage, The Reporter writes. The story unfolds through intense dialogue and physical performance, weaving themes of family, love, motherhood, and self-sacrifice — an early scene mirroring a woman's grief over a lost pregnancy against another faking her own sets the emotional stakes without giving too much away.
Hager Fikir, founded in 1935 in Addis Ababa's Piassa district, is considered Africa's oldest indigenous theatre house. Playwright Wodneh Kifle first wrote the piece as a radio drama around 2008; when that fell through, he reworked it for the stage — his 23rd theatrical work. "The history of the play is about choosing a straight path in life so that our path is smooth," he told The Reporter.
Director Alemtsehai Ejigu spent nine months preparing the five-member cast — Helina Sisay, Estiphanos Kebede, Fuad Mohamed, Tsinat Abera, and Mered Negash — while navigating steep advertising costs and scarce rehearsal space in Addis Ababa. Cast member Mered Negash said rehearsals intensified to daily sessions before opening, calling live audience reaction "one of the most rewarding aspects" of theatre.
The play first premiered in August 2025 at the Youth and Children's Theatre before returning to Hager Fikir on August 20, with an extended run planned.