Expanding the performance area: The Nigerian artistes’ ordeal

Abstract

It is no longer news that the live theatre needs to go out of the four-walls of a university building in search of its audience. The history of Nigerian theatre be it from the literary or traditional perspectives is incomplete without a mention and recall to performances on the streets, market places, religious houses and other unconventional places. These arenas no longer experience the performance as in the days of old and their audiences are either completely denied of the pleasure or have looked elsewhere for an alternative. To bring back the lost pleasures to the audience and to revive the old practice comes with a lot of challenges and demands. These challenges and demands though appear as difficult tasks, they are surmountable. Theatre practitioners owe it a duty to the audience, if they are ready to brace-up to the challenges, to showcase relevant, meaningful and understandable performances to them. The improved and advanced technologies should not be confined to the building; rather their adaptability and functionalities should be subjected to test and used at some orthodox performance spaces.

Keywords: Expanding, Performance Area, Artistes Ordeal