Despite their hectic personal lives, four guys discover friendship, love, and tenacity in Nairobi’s concrete jungle in 4 Play, an 18-rated adult drama from Pepeta writers.
Set to premiere on Showmax on 21 November, 4Play stars Daniel Weke (Mali), AMVCA nominee Elsaphan Njora (Kati Kati, Twende), Maina wa Ndungu (Kina, Volume), and Kalasha winner Bilal Wanjau (Faithless) as Malik, Allan, Edu, and Michael, the four main leads.
Supporting this cast is renowned media personality and content creator Patricia Kihoro (Crime and Justice, Rafiki), singer and actress Habida Moloney (Zari), and Tracy Macharia (Big Girl Small World).
4Play, which was produced by James Kombo (Pepeta) through his production business CJ3 Entertainment, was directed for the first time by Mwangi Rurengo (Pepeta), Janet Chumbe (Faithless), and Country Queen editor Mkaiwai Mwakaba.
Produced by James Kombo (Pepeta) through his production company CJ3 Entertainment, 4Play is directed by Mwangi Rurengo (Pepeta), Janet Chumbe (Faithless), and Country Queen editor Mkaiwai Mwakaba, stepping into the director’s shoes for the first time.
Abigail Arunga, known for her work on Junior, Pepeta, and Lies that Bind serve as the head writer. The late Charles Ouda (Pepeta, Salem) also serves as a writer and the casting director for the show.
“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, and love life—that is part of 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 promises audiences a daring, seductive, and authentic depiction of modern Kenyan life, encapsulated in comedy, nightlife, and the essence of Nairobi’s gritty culture.
In equal measure, the show explores themes of friendship, family, ambition, love, and passion, vividly illustrating the highs and lows that characterize Nairobi.
“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.” concludes Abigael
