An Original Investigation into the Phenomenology of Theatrical Space in Nigerian Cultural Contexts

Theatrical space in Nigerian performance traditions is not merely a neutral container for performance but an active, meaning-generating element infused with cosmological, social, and political significance, and developing an original phenomenological account of Nigerian theatrical space makes a major contribution to spatial performance theory. This study conducted an original phenomenological investigation of theatrical space across multiple Nigerian performance contexts. A phenomenological methodology combining Husserlian phenomenological analysis, spatial studies frameworks, and extensive fieldwork was employed. Fieldwork at 22 performance sites across six geopolitical zones, including ritual performance spaces, conventional stages, street performance environments, and arena performance spaces, generated rich descriptive data on spatial experience, meaning, and practice. Analysis drew on phenomenological frameworks (Merleau-Ponty's embodied space, de Certeau's practised space) while critically examining their limitations for Nigerian performance contexts. An original phenomenological theory of Nigerian theatrical space was developed across five spatial categories: the cosmological threshold (the performance space as activated boundary between human and spirit worlds), community plaza performance (the democratic public space as political theatre), the body as portable space (indigenous performance traditions that constitute space through performer movement), the domestic-ritual space (the transformation of everyday domestic space into performance space), and the post-colonial architectural stage (the Western theatrical building as colonial spatial inheritance). Expert review by 22 spatial studies and performance scholars confirmed the study's original phenomenological contribution. Recommendations include incorporating Nigerian spatial theory into international performance space design discourse.

Keywords: theatrical space, phenomenology, Nigerian performance, spatial theory, original contribution