Synopses & Reviews
This second annual volume in the African Theatre series focuses on the intersection of politics and theatre in Africa today. Topics include the remarkable collaboration between Horse and Bamboo, a puppet theatre company based in the United Kingdom, and Nigerian playwright Sam Ukala that was inspired by the infamous execution of Nigerian playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni activists; the plays of Femi Osofisan; and plays by Ghanaian playwrights Joe de Graft and Mohammed Ben-Abdallah. African Theatre features the work of Mauritian playwright Dev Virahsawmy and includes an interview with him, reviews of an English production of his play, Toufann, as well as the translated playscript. Reports of workshops and conferences, reviews, and news of the year in African theatre make this volume a valuable resource for anyone interested in current issues in African drama and performance.
About the Author
Martin Banham is Emeritus Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at the University of Leeds. He is editor of The Cambridge Guide to Theatre and co-editor of The Cambridge Guide to African and Caribbean Theatre.
James Gibbs teaches at the University of the West of England in Bristol and has a particular interest in Ghanaian, Nigerian, and Malawian theatre.
Femi Osofisan is a playwright who also teaches in the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Table of Contents
Preliminary Table of Contents:
Notes on Contributors
Foreword by the Editors
Obituary of Rose Mbowa
From a Playwright's Notebook
Bole Butake's Strategies as a Political Playwright
Ife Convocation Plays as Politics
The Plays of Femi Osofisan
Two Ghanaian Playwrights: Joe de Graft and Mohammed Ben-Abdallah
Language and Politics: Island Plays
Puppets and Politics: Horse and Bamboo Production
Follow Up: Theatre in Development
Noticeboard
Playscript: Toufann by Dev Virahsawmy
Theatre Reviews
Book Reviews
Index