Actor, comedian and author Ntarindwa Diogène, popularly known as Atome, is set to present his play, Carte d’Identité – Identity Card, to Rwandan audiences after performing it for audiences in several countries over many years.
The play will make its Rwandan debut on November 7, 2026, at the Kigali Convention Centre (KCC), marking the first show in a series of performances Atome has named the ‘Legacy Series’.
Carte d’Identité is a one-man theatrical performance in which Atome is the only person on stage. He uses his ability to change his voice, mannerisms and speech to portray different people who have played a role in his life.
Through the performance, Atome reflects on his personal experiences, including growing up in exile in Burundi, returning to Rwanda and the different events that have shaped his life.
The play combines comedy, history and personal storytelling, offering audiences a perspective on how national history and individual experiences can be brought together through artistic expression.
Atome said one of his motivations for creating the play was to preserve history and ensure that important experiences are not forgotten but instead documented for future generations.
“I have always had that desire to ensure that these stories do not disappear, but are written down in books,” he said.
Atome also explained how he selected the cities that will host the ‘Legacy Series’, including Dakar, Abidjan, Paris, Brussels, Geneva, Stockholm, Montreal and Edmonton.
He said one consideration was that these cities are home to sizeable Rwandan communities, although this was not the only factor behind his choices.
Since the play is performed in French, he also considered whether young Rwandans living in those cities speak the language and would be able to follow the performance.
“The reason I chose those cities is that they are known to have sizeable Rwandan communities, and they are also places I enjoy visiting. However, I was not guided solely by the number of Rwandans living there. Since the play is in French, most of those cities are French-speaking and are home to many of our young people. Having started with young Rwandans here, I felt I could also take it to young Rwandans living there,” he said.
He further emphasised that the presence of Rwandans in those cities was one consideration, alongside the ability of young people living there to understand and engage with a French-language performance.
After the Kigali show, Atome will continue the tour to the other cities across different countries, aiming to bring his work to Rwandans living abroad as well as other audiences interested in its message.
