The Slow Integration of Sustainability into Contemporary Theatre and Performance Practices in Cameroon

Abstract

The Cameroonian theatre landscape, both Anglophone and Francophone, is not left untouched by current concerns and discourses about climate change, ecological degradation, and particularly environmental/natural sustainability. In this article, we will examine the emerging inclusion of sustainability in theatre and performances in Cameroon. Specifically, we will discuss the ways in which choices of costumes, makeup, stage props, and occasionally thematics reflect and seek to promote the sustainable management of Nature. Methodologically, we will employ data gathered from five current theatre troupes in Cameroon, interviews conducted with some theatre directors and practitioners, and the personal experiences of (some) co-authors who are also theatre practitioners. We will begin by discussing some unsustainable practices that characterised much of previous Cameroonian theatrical performances and then proceed to present the evolution of the situation, especially as demonstrated in the choices and deployment of costumes, makeup, stage props, and thematics in a selection of theatre performances and theatre scripts. In this way, we hope to highlight the contribution of Cameroonian theatre towards ensuring a just and sustainable planet Earth for all.