Adapting Classic European Drama for Nigerian Audiences: Professional Dramaturgical Approaches

This study examines professional dramaturgical approaches used by Nigerian theatre practitioners in adapting classic European dramatic texts for contemporary Nigerian audiences. The practice of adaptation, which involves the cultural, linguistic, and contextual transformation of source texts, has a long history in Nigerian theatre, reflecting the creative negotiation of colonial theatrical inheritance with local performance traditions. The research investigates how directors and dramaturgs at professional theatre companies and universities in Lagos, Enugu, and Ibadan approach the adaptation of plays by Brecht, Chekhov, Ibsen, and Shakespeare for Nigerian production contexts. Data were gathered through interviews with directors and dramaturgs, analysis of adapted scripts, and post-performance audience discussions. The study finds that the most critically successful adaptations employ systematic dramaturgical processes that include cultural mapping, language localisation, and the integration of indigenous performance aesthetics as structural rather than decorative elements. The research identifies the risk of producing superficial cultural substitutions rather than genuine dramaturgical transformation as a persistent challenge. It concludes that professional dramaturgical training in adaptation methodology should be a formal component of Nigerian theatre education. Keywords: dramaturgical adaptation, classic European drama, Nigerian theatre, cultural localisation, professional practice.