ABSTRACT
Nigerian theatre dates back to antiquity and was present in ritual observances, ceremonies, myths, legends and festivals. Segun Adefila had informal training as a performance artist with the Black Image Theatre Company, a theatre company in his neighbourhood of Bariga. As a restless young man, he co-founded the Crown Troupe of Africa after his stint with the Black Image Theatre Company, becoming the troupe’s artistic director in 1996. While Adefila and CTA are influenced by the Alarinjo Theatre and Yoruba masquerade performance, it is also true that unlike the former that performed for mere entertainment, Adefila’s theatre is anchored by social action as almost all the plays in his repertoire engage with social and political problems in his society. Several scholars have underscored the fact that a people’s environment and traditional space and worldview influences their creations and other social activities.
