Navigating landmines and pathways: Interrogating new approaches to theatre making in Nigeria

Abstract

The growing global economic uncertainties have in recent times been attended by a cutting down of costs by corporate bodies and families alike. In most  developing economies, the perennial scaling down of budgets has meant dwindling provisions for leisure and entertainment. This accounts for the sharp drop in theatre attendance in most of these countries. In Africa where people are used to enjoying folk theatre performances in the open  community squares for free, the idea of paying for tickets to attend theatre becomes more and more unattractive. The growing cases of global terrorism  and general insecurity in most societies has made it even more difficult for families to see the wisdom in risking attending theatre productions at night,  what more to spend scarce family income on tickets when there are cheaper and safer alternatives at home by way of cable television and soap operas.  Undaunted the theatre makers have been reinventing their audience engineering strategies and production approaches. This paper is an incursion into  the new approaches theatre makers have adopted to keep their art and professionalism afloat in the face of persisting harsh social and economic  realities.