Bridging the culture gap in Nigerian and Caribbean theatre: A total theatre experience

The intertwining of cultures, however, distinct and distinguished they seem, is one of the varied ways humanity has co-existed. This has not only produced a hybrid of different offspring, diffusing the chasm that has existed in the world, but has also created institutions, both bilateral and multilateral, that have engendered cultural exchanges between countries and continents of the world. This study evaluates the shared cultural exchanges between Nigeria and the Caribbean that have seen the birthing of cultural carnivals in Nigeria, for example, the Carnival Calabar, which has been a platform that has helped to shape and amplify a total theatre experience that combines two rich but different cultures of the world into a powerful hybrid cultural expression for the world to see. Using the participant observation methodology and this study found out that Nigeria has benefited from the bilateral cultural exchanges between her and the Caribbean, especially Trinidad and Tobago, who played a leading role in the formation, influence and sustainability of the Carnival Calabar, with its carnival culture being one of the signposts of the Carnival. It recommended that more cultural exchanges should be embarked upon that would produce a rich cultural and theatrical experience that the world can witness, appreciate and patronize as cultural tourism products.