Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Kenyan theatre in focus
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Date
2007
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Abstract
Ngugi wa Thiong'o is known throughout the world for his writing of novels, e.g. Petals of Blood (1977) and critical essays, e.g. Delolonising the Mind (1994). With the writing of The Trail of Dedan Kimathi (1977), in collaboration with Micere Mugo, he became known as a playwright as well. The two community plays, I Will Marry When I Want (1982) and Mother, Sing for Me, brought focus to indigenous Kenyan theatre. They were created and performed by the Kamiriithu-villagers in the theatre they have built themselves, until they were stopped by the government. The provocative I Will Marry When I Want was the cause of Ngugi's detainment by the Kenyan government. Ngugi used the theatre as a platform for his cultural, social and political utterances in his quest to change the society
Very little was written about Ngugi's plays. This research intends to study the available sources and his plays carefully to formulate an overall view of the importance of this genre of Ngugi. The content, themes, characters and the indigenous cultural expressions, e.g. songs, dances and mimes will be analysed. As the community and audience involvement played a huge role in Ngugi's theatre process and performances, they will receive prominent attention
This research project will to investigate the observations of other scholars on African theatre, as well as the different styles of theatre practiced by Ngugi. The research will investigate the recurrent themes and explore the influence Ngugi had on the theatre of Kenya. As an activist he propagated a strong message that the masses should unite against the oppression and exploitation by the ruling regime.
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in performing arts
Keywords
Theater and society, Theatre, Ngúgì wa Thiong'o