Touch and the Masquerades of Nigeria

This work investigates the use of mask in the Masquerade traditions of West Africa, specifically Nigeria. The author argues in favour of a common language of mask performance and focuses on the manner in which the Nigerian dramatist Wole Soyinka explores the theatrical virtuosity and vibrancy of mask in his plays, particulary A Dance of the Forests . Also presented are the author’s trilogy of plays under the title Touch which was created to explore the subtleties of African mask in a manner accesible for Western actors. This trilogy is based on Soyinka’s play.