The much-anticipated drama series 4 Play will debut on Showmax on 21 November 2024, bringing a bold and unapologetic look at contemporary life in Nairobi. Created by James Kombo of CJ3 Entertainment, 4 Play follows the lives of four men—Malik, Allan, Edu, and Michael—as they navigate love, ambition, and friendship against the vibrant, gritty backdrop of Nairobi’s nightlife.
Featuring a stellar cast that includes Daniel Weke, Elsaphan Njora, Maina wa Ndungu, and Bilal Wanjau, 4 Play also stars renowned personalities like Patricia Kihoro and Habida Moloney. The series is directed by Mwangi Rurengo, Janet Chumbe, and Mkaiwai Mwakaba, with Abigail Arunga as head writer. It explores themes of romance, family, and the complexities of modern relationships.
4 Play offers a male-centered narrative, a fresh perspective in Kenyan drama, tackling taboo topics like addiction and adult relationships with authenticity and depth. With new episodes airing every Thursday, viewers can expect an unfiltered portrayal of the highs and lows of Nairobi life, showcasing the city’s culture through the lens of friendship and resilience.
“A lot of TV stories out there today focus on the woman’s perspective, and with 4 Play I wanted to show the other side of the story – the man’s story,” says Kombo, “Thereby, capturing the challenges we face, and the things men are going through every day in Kenya. Having grown up in Nairobi, I also wanted to portray an authentic story through its nightlife, flashy lifestyle, love life – that is part of the Nairobi culture, and that is what this show represents. The stories of our four leads are highly relatable because we are talking about real things men encounter to survive.”
“4 Play is different from any other project I have done before because I felt like I was allowed to express my creative voice, especially in portraying adult relationships and sensuality,” show co-creator Abigail Arunga adds.
“It was fun to write something that is about four Kenyan men just being themselves. We conceived the idea with Kombo around the same time as Pepeta. While Pepeta draws on real life events, this show allowed me to delve into Nairobi’s pulse, exploring taboo themes like sex work, addiction, and what relationships mean here. There was a lot of room for imagination, and that is what makes this show so fresh and exciting.”
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