Audience and the transformation of performance in African theatre through Iredi War and Ekuechi festival

Abstract

African theatre encompasses theatrical practices that predate European colonization. Using Sam Ukala's play, Iredi War, a modern Nigerian drama infused with folk elements, and the Ekuechi festival of Nigeria's Ebira people, this qualitative study examined audience participation and the transformation of performance in African theatre, with insights from Segun Adefila, a renowned Nigerian theatre practitioner. It employed Sam Ukala’s ([1996]. Folkism: towards a national aesthetic principle for Nigerian dramaturgy. New Theatre Quarterly, 12 (47), 279–287) theory of ‘Folkism’ as its theoretical framework, and observed that the distinction between the spectator and actor can be clear or fluid, depending on the flow of the performance, with participants exchanging roles and playing space. In this context, audience members may act as spectators, actors, or both, reflecting the communal nature of African theatre. Other elements of African theatre include the festival theatre technique, in which the audience encircles the performance area in traditional performances, and the processional staging technique that involves moving with performers between venues. This immersive experience further engages the participant-audience, emphasizing their active involvement in the theatrical event. Moreover, African theatre serves dual purposes as both ritual and entertainment, and as Adefila argues, the position of the audience in relation to the central playing space, or nucleus, influences the nature of the performance. As spectators move away from the nucleus, the emphasis shifts towards entertainment, whereas proximity to the nucleus transforms the performance into a more ritualistic or worshipful event. While Adefila's audience model serves as a base, it oversimplifies audience experience, overlooks distant audience agency, and focuses on religious performances. Hence, the need for a more nuanced framework for African traditional theatre.