Much talked about musician Avril is among the new star cast for the second edition of the MTV Staying Alive production Shuga, which starts filming in Nairobi this week.
She is among eight new characters in the series and will play a character called ‘Miss B’have’.
Other new but familiar names who will be on location for the next six weeks as they shoot Shuga: Love, Sex, Money are radio presenter Nick Ndeda (Angelo), actress/model Brenda Wairimu (Dala) and Musician/model 9con (Femi), who recently sang a song with Wyre.
Meanwhile Christopher Otieno and Wairugi Mutero won the public vote to join the all-new cast.
In an announcement by MTV Base, The Staying Alive Foundation, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and The Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation (HFG), Otieno and Mutero won an online poll voted for by the public.
Wairugi will be playing the role of ‘Njoki’ (a party girl who loves to live in the moment) while Christopher will be cast as ‘Slim’, a small-time gangster. They will also join Nancy Wanjiku (Baby), and Edward Nyanaro (Rayban).
Those retained from the first Shuga series are Sharon Olago who played Violet, David Omwange (Skola), Nick Mutuma (Leo), Antony Mwangi (Kennedy) and Valerie Kimani (Sindi).
The acclaimed Lupita Nyong’o, who played the pivotal character of Ayira, makes a comeback on the set as co-director alongside South African veteran Teboho Mahlatsi.
Lupita, who is studying acting at the Yale School of Drama, will also be making a brief cameo appearance in the series.
“I am so thrilled to be working on the project again!” she says. “This time I’ll really have my hands full as I will be both in front of and behind the camera but I can’t wait to be involved in the sequel to this incredible story.”
The second edition of Shuga is hoping to build on the success of the first offering, and expound on more topics that have been raised by viewers. The first series told the stories of the lives of sexually active young Kenyans, highlighting the risks that arise from unprotected sex and the party-hard lifestyles of urban Kenyan youth.
Organisers are confident that the Shuga: Love, Sex, Money will not be short of quality acting.
Georgia Arnold, Executive Director, MTV Staying Alive Foundation said: “We have been astounded by the quality and quantity of the actors we have seen and I look forward to seeing how our new cast members, characters and storylines will interact with our established cast.”