The Cambridge Guide to African and Caribbean Theatre

The Cambridge Guide to African and Caribbean Theatre is an exploration of the rich diversity of theatrical traditions in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. Beautifully illustrated throughout, the book traces the ancient and complex roots of African theatre - still evident in community festivals and religious rituals - through the centuries of colonial domination, to the African diaspora and its manifestation in Caribbean theatre. Drawing upon the parent Cambridge Guide to Theatre, material is updated and refocused to offer a specific view of traditional and contemporary theatre activity in over 40 countries. National essays are followed by alphabetically arranged entries on the major figures in the theatrical arts of that country, whilst additional entries concentrate on specific aspects of theatre, from rituals and festivals to theatre companies and language.

List of contributors; Preface; 1. African theatre; 2. Introduction; 3. Benin; 4. Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland; 5. Burkina Faso; 6. Cameroon; 7. People's Republic of Congo; 8. Cote d'Ivoire; 9. Ethiopia; 10. Gabon and the Central African Republic; 11. Ghana; 12. Guinea; 13. Kenya; 14. Madagascar; 15. Malawi; 16. Mali; 17. Mauritius; 18. Niger; 19. Nigeria; 20. Senegal; 21. Sierra Leone; 22. South Africa; 23. Togo; 24. Uganda; 25. Zaire; 26. Zambia; 27. Zimbabwe; 28. Caribbean theatre; 29. Introduction; 30. Barbados; 31. Cuba; 32. Dominican Republic; 33. Eastern Caribbean States; 34. Guyana; 35. Jamaica; 36. Puerto Rico; 37. Trinidad and Tobago; Index; Illustration acknowledgements.

An invaluable guide to the theatre of sub-Saharan Africa - from Ethiopia in the north, through anglophone, francophone and lusophone countries to South Africa - and the Caribbean, both hispanic and English-speaking. This book shows how present-day theatre is enriched by its co-existence with ancient and traditional forms.