Making Use of the Stage in West Africa: The Role of Audiences in the Production of Efficacious Theatre

Abstract

The role of the audience is central to any live theatrical production. That role becomes even more crucial when theatre has an efficacious intent, as its efficacy is determined by the response it produces in the audience. This article discusses the role of the audience in the production of efficacious theatre, with particular reference to the West African context. It presents the West African situation, in which both playwrights and their audiences recognise a dual purpose for theatre: entertainment and education in equal measure. It examines some conditions under which theatre may achieve efficacy, and, with reference to theories of interpretation provided by two German theorists, Wolfgang Iser and Hans-Robert Jauss, suggests ways in which West African audiences may derive meaning from theatre performances.