Trends and Patterns of Committed Theatre in Nigeria

Abstract

Commitment in dramaturgical art permeates all the theatrical traditions in Nigerian theatre. The tone or degree of commitment is however dictated by the prevailing circumstances in the social reality and the ideological inclination of dramatists. Historical accounts and critical reading of the selected plays reveal promotion of culture and the articulation of political consciousness. While the community theatre makes up for the problem of accessibility in language of dramatisation in the literary drama, this study lends its voice to the call for translation of the scripts that can inculcate critical consciousness in the masses into the local languages, just as employing the audio-visual of the screen is another alternative. Acting out what the radical playwrights advocate in their script could be a morale booster to the targeted audience.