This thesis examines the question of who the main audiences of West African literary theatre in English are and what they expect from literary theatre performances. Through a survey of audiences at performances in Ghana and Nigeria, it shows that the main audiences of literary theatre in English in this region of Africa are mainly students and the educated elite. The language of these plays and the main venues of performance are largely seen as responsible for this limited but important audience. The study concludes that since playwrights and their audiences see theatre as a medium for social change and edification respectively, this category of audiences are strategic targets. The study, however, sees the role of other theatre practices, such as Theatre for Development and Concert Party Theatre, which are in local languages and target the larger, less educated sections of society as more relevant but complementary to literary theatre in English. This thesis also highlights the lively interaction of West African audiences with theatre performances. Theatre practitioners encourage the active participation of their audiences by casting them in concrete roles or by directly addressing them, thus insisting on their participation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:288805 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Asiedu, Awo Mana |
| Publisher | University of Birmingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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