Volume Three in this series carries on from the highly acclaimed volumes on Europe and on the Americas. Focusing on non-Arabic Africa, and with contributions from leading experts from the countries featured, the third volume of the World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre series examines theatrical developments in Africa since 1945. Entries on thirty-two African countries are featured in this volume, preceded by specialist introductory essays on Anglophone Africa, Francophone Africa, History and Culture, Cosmology, Music, Dance, Theatre for Young Audiences and Puppetry. There are also special introductory general essays on African theatre written by Nobel Prize Laureate Wole Soyinka and the outstanding Congolese playwright, Sony Labou Tansi, before his untimely death in 1995. More up-to-date and more wide-ranging than any other publication, this is undoubtedly a major ground-breaking survey of contemporary African theatre.
The countries covered are : Angola * Benin * Burkina Faso * Burundi * Cameroon * Chad * Congo * Cote d'Ivoire * Ethiopia * Ghana * Guinea * Guinea Bissau * Kenya * Liberia * Madagascar * Mali * Mauritius * Mozambique * Namibia * Niger * Nigeria * Rwanda * Senegal * Seychelles Islands * Sierra Leone * South Africa * Tanzania * Togo * Uganda * Zaire * Zambia * Zimbabwe Key Features * Extensive coverage - theatre in more than 30 countries is documented and analyzed offering a complete insight to theatrical cultures in a form which allows country-by-country comparison. * Prestigious board of contributors - created by leading scholars, critics and theatre practitioners all writing from within the country being covered to ensure authenticity and authority. * Lavishly illustrated - includes ninety black and white photos of every aspect of African theatre to complement the text, making the volume informative and readable. * Multidisciplinary - relevant to a wide range of disciplines, including history, anthropology, literary studies and African studies.