THE CENTRALITY OF THE NARRATIVE STORYTELLING PERFORMANCE STRATEGY IN SAM UKALA’S IDEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK

Authors

  • Uwem Affiah PhD, Department of English & Literary Studies, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
  • Offiong Ene Amaku M.A., Department of Linguistics, Arthur Mavis University, Nigeria
  • Kufre Akpan PhD, Department of English, Akwa Ibom Tate University, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejls.v4i1.413

Keywords:

storytelling, folkism, indigenous drama, performance

Abstract

African literary drama draws its artistic materials from the numerous forms of Oral literature. Storytelling, an ancient but living oral tradition is one of such forms that some African dramatists have resorted to in expressing their various themes. As such, storytelling has created an orally rich variant of contemporary African literary drama as demonstrated in Ukala’s dramaturgy. Primarily sourcing his plays from folk material, Ukala is known for reviving and sustaining the storytelling performance via his ‘folkism’ theory which thrives on spontaneity in performance. This paper investigates the centrality of the storytelling strategy in his Akpakaland, Iredi War and Break a Boil as located in his ‘folkist’ ideology. The paper draws attention to such defining characteristics of indigenous storytelling as the opening and closing formulae, improvisation, audience involvement, the pivotal role of the narrator, etc. In so doing, it locates storytelling as the central artistic requirement that not only imbues Ukala’s plays with its aesthetic relevance but also drives its reflection of societal issues.

 

Author Biographies

  • Uwem Affiah, PhD, Department of English & Literary Studies, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria

    Uwem Affiah (PhD) is an Associate Professor in the Department of English and Literary Studies, University of Calabar, Nigeria. His research is mostly in African Drama and African Oral Literature. He is on Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Academia and Orcid. His Orcid number is orcid.org/0000-0002-5825-1473.

  • Offiong Ene Amaku, M.A., Department of Linguistics, Arthur Mavis University, Nigeria

    Offiong Amaku, M.A., is an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics, Arthur Javis University, Cross River State, Nigeria. Her research interest is in African Drama. She can be found on ResearchGate, Academia, Google Scholar and Orcid. Her Orcid number is orcid.org/0000-0003-1970-8060.

  • Kufre Akpan, PhD, Department of English, Akwa Ibom Tate University, Nigeria

    Kufre Akpan (PhD) is a Lecturer in the Department of English, Akwa Ibom State University, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. His research interest is in African Prose and African Oral Literature.  He is on ResearchGate, Academia, Google Scholar and Orcid. His Orcid number is orcid.org/0000-0002-5989-1077.

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Published

2023-02-07

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2022)

Section

Articles

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