Theatrical Representations of the Nigerian Civil War in Contemporary Stage Productions

This study analyses theatrical representations of the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970) in contemporary stage productions, focusing on how recent dramatists have revisited this historical event through performance. The Nigerian Civil War remains a profoundly sensitive subject with lasting implications for national unity and collective memory. This research examines how selected stage plays produced between 2018 and 2024 have engaged with themes of conflict, displacement, trauma, and reconciliation. Textual analysis and theatrical semiotics were employed to interpret dramatic texts and performance documentation from three universities and two professional theatre companies in South East and South West Nigeria. The study finds that contemporary theatrical treatments of the Civil War tend to foreground personal and communal trauma over military or political narratives, reflecting a generational shift in how younger Nigerians engage with this history. Feminist and postcolonial perspectives are increasingly visible in recent productions, complicating earlier monolithic portrayals. The research concludes that theatre provides a unique space for processing collective historical trauma and fostering national dialogue. Recommendations include support for annual theatre festivals centred on national historical themes to maintain public engagement with Nigeria's complex past. Keywords: Nigerian Civil War, theatre, collective memory, historical drama, postcolonial performance.