Thursday 19 October 2017

Towards the Development of the Solo Theatrical Sub-Genre in Nigeria: A Critical Examination of its Major Handicaps



Goldsmiths, University of London

ABSTRACT BY GREG MBAJIORGU
The art of solo performance is becoming popular in America and Europe in every sense of the word. The increasing success of this theatrical form has created fresh motivations and objectives for theatre producers, playwrights, directors, actors and even designers. Though this minimalist theatre thrives in the domain of the individual, recent studies in America, in particular, has shown that monodrama poses exciting challenges, not just for actors but playwrights, directors, producers, designers, technicians and theatre scholars, who have found this vibrant and unique art form a valuable educational tool with
extreme creative and innovative possibilities that can enhance and develop playwriting, acting and directing skills. But despite the scholarly and artistic breakthroughs that have been recorded in this sub-field in recent times, Nigerian theatre scholars, playwrights, directors and producers are still unwilling to explore the potentials of monodrama. Strangely, theatre scholars in Nigeria still regard this form as a theatrical sub-field that is incapable of stimulating significant academic discourse. Similarly, most theatre artists and professionals in Nigeria tend to dismiss the solo play as an individualistic art that has little regard for theatre concept of inter-relationship.

On the basis of this background, the researcher hopes to critically re-examine these contentious issues and to x-ray all other factors that have impeded the academic and artistic growth of the solo performance art in Nigeria. Through this study, we may also be placed in a better position to appreciate why the seemingly popular appeal and economic success of solo performances in Nigeria rest squarely on sheer guts and creative resourcefulness of multi-skilled and talented upcoming Nigerian actors (such as the late Funsho Alabi and others) whose efforts in this direction can be greatly enhanced and consolidated by the interest and support of seasoned and notable Nigerian theatre historians, scholars, artists and critics who seem to have completely neglected and ignored this bourgeoning art form.

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