Directing and Puppetry in Contemporary Nigerian Theatre: A Study of the Production Final Draft

Abstract

Studies that explore the arts of directing and puppetry are limited in Nigerian theatre. This article examines the directorial indices of a puppetry performance, Final Draft, directed by Ekeh Nneka Grace, on September 24, 2018, at the University of Port Harcourt Arts Theatre. It is observed that the deployment of the codes of directing in the production vivified the message of the play, and the use of human and puppet actors pushed the boundaries of the story for the benefit of the audience. This study recommends that directors should take advantage of the art of puppetry in their theatrical experimentations in Nigerian theatre.

Keywords

• puppetry
• theatre
• directing
• production
• nigeria