Yorùbá Theatre Practice and Nollywood

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research

Author

University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

The development of theatre in Yorùbáland from travelling actors to the contemporaneous practice of the culture in the film medium is an intriguing phase of maturity of the Yorùbá people's theatrical tradition. Nollywood has made the whole world a stage for Yorùbá theatre. By extending the performance space beyond the physical stage of the auditorium, Nollywood is what may be considered the current and future of Yorùbá theatre. The demand for relevance and a focus on the interests of today's audience all play a significant part in the shift of Yorùbá theatre from stage to film medium. Nollywood has helped Yorùbá theatre practice by preserving Yorùbá stories for widespread popular acceptability and global attention. Yorùbá theatre is an exposition of Yorùbá tradition and culture, thus it might be helpful to understand the worldviews held by the people who created it in order to better appreciate how it is practiced today, as well as the contributing factors that shape how the practice of this theatre is showcased in what is now known as Nollywood. This paper aims to point out how significant it is to understand the theatre that was developed in Yorùbáland and how the culture comes across in the film adaptation of Akínwùmí Ìṣọ̀lá's Ṣaworoidẹ (Brass bells).

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Main Subjects

Media and Intercultural Communication: A Multidisciplinary Journal

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 16 February 2024

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