Stage Actors Cultural Difference Adaptation Bridging

This study critically investigates the role of stage actors in bridging cultural difference using the University of Benin Theatre adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, adapted by Effing Bassey and directed by Joan Salami, as a case study. Grounded in intercultural performance theory (Pavis), postcolonial thought (Bhabha), and performance studies (Schechner; the research interrogates how actors function as cultural mediators, transforming Achebe’s narrative of Igbo tradition and colonial disruption into embodied experiences that facilitate cultural dialogue among audiences. The background situates theatre as a cultural forum where traditions and histories are not only represented but actively negotiated. Achebe’s novel was selected because of its global significance as a text of cultural conflict and resilience, while the UNIBEN Theatre context provided a live platform for examining how Nigerian actors re-stage colonial encounters for contemporary audiences. The research employed a qualitative design, combining semi-structured interviews with the director, four actors, and three audience members, alongside live and digital performance observations. Thematic analysis was applied to the data, triangulated with secondary sources from African theatre scholarship. Findings reveal that actors extended beyond textual fidelity, engaging in what Fischer-Lichte describes as the creation of “liminal spaces where different cultural systems encounter one another in embodied form” (117). Performers reported a conscious responsibility to carry Igbo traditions on stage while rendering them intelligible to diverse audiences. Audience testimonies confirmed that actors’ emotional intensity and ritual enactments generated both cultural recognition and cross-cultural empathy. However, limitations were noted, including the underrepresentation of female agency, echoing Stratton’s critique of Achebe’s gender politics. The study concludes that actors play a pivotal role in transforming Achebe’s prose into lived cultural encounters, effectively bridging difference by embodying rituals, songs, and colonial tensions in a manner that transcends text. Recommendations emphasise enhancing actor training in cultural literacy, balancing ritual authenticity with psychological depth, and leveraging digital platforms such as YouTube to extend intercultural dialogue globally. The research contributes to theatre studies by repositioning actors as central to the politics of cultural exchange, while offering practical insights for practitioners, scholars, and policymakers committed to the role of performance in intercultural communication. Overall, the thesis underscores that in Nigerian university theatre, and specifically in the UNIBEN staging of Things Fall Apart, the actor is not only an artist but a cultural ambassador, shaping how communities perceive themselves and others across cultural divide.