The new performance space: Drive-in theatre in Nigeria and cultural pedagogy

Abstract

AbstractIn the aftermath of a challenging pandemic that impacted entertainment and social order, there has been a paradigm shift in the way theatre artists respond to emerging realities. This study examines the novel trend of drive-in theatre in Nigeria as an artistic response, exploring how drive-in theater could serve as a catalyst for cultural pedagogy by fostering the preservation and dissemination of Nigerian culture, facilitating social cohesion, and fostering artistic innovation. With references to the reception of two drive-in performances staged at two locations: metropolitan Abuja, North Central Nigeria, and the semi-urban University of Nigeria, Nsukka campus, South East Nigeria, the paper illustrates how culturally responsive Nigerian theatre directors adapted their creative platforms to extend the discussion on cultural values and cosmic harmony in a contemporary age where cultural values are conflicted. Highlighting the socio-cultural impact of the selected performances, the study adopts Baz Kershaw’s ecological theory to reveal the pedagogical implications of the innovative approach in an ecologically vulnerable world. Emphasizing how such interventionist strategy tackles fading cultural values and ecological disharmony, the study argues that drive-in theatre could advance aesthetic and environmental purposes while bolstering important cultural values.

Keywords

• Drive-in
• theatre
• environment
• intervention
• culture
• pedagogy