What kinds of documentation of performances exist - both of colonial and indigenous theatre and how may this range of documentation have affected how we read theatre history? African performers, dramatists and directors have far out-paced chroniclers, critics and librarians, and as a result, those preparing accounts of theatre movements and performance on the continent have very limited resources to work on. African Theatre 9 addresses the topic of theatre history and, more specifically, looks at a selection of theatrical movements and events between 1850 and 1950. Drawing on such archived resources as are available, this volume seeks to recover moments from the past by bringing together papers that explore the complexity of the relationships that characterised a century of contact, conflict, compromise and creativity. The findings provide essential background to understanding contemporary developments in African theatre, and draw attention to the importance of documenting performances. Volume Editor: YVETTE HUTCHISON Series Editors: Martin Banham, Emeritus Professor of Drama & Theatre Studies, University of Leeds; James Gibbs, Senior Visiting Research Fellow, University of the West of England; Femi Osofisan, Professor of Drama at the University of Ibadan; Jane Plastow,Professor of African Theatre, University of Leeds; Yvette Hutchison, Associate Professor, Department of Theatre & Performance Studies, University of Warwick

Contemporary Uganda and other East African states are connected by the experience of Idi Amin's tyranny, rapacious and murderous regime, and the latter second Uganda Peoples Congress government, that forced Ugandans to go into exile and initiate armed struggles from Kenya and Tanzania to oust his government. Because of these experiences of disappearances, torture, murder and war, issues of identity, politics and resistance are significant concerns for East African dramatists. Resistance and Politics in Contemporary East African Theatre demonstrates the significant role of theatre in resisting tyranny and forging a post-colonial national identity. In its engaging analysis of an important period of theatre, the book explores key moments while considering the specific practice of individual artists and groups that provoke differing experiences and performance practices. Selected examples range from early post-colonial plays reflecting the resistance to the rise of tyranny, torture and dictatorships, to more recent works that address situations involving struggles for social justice and the cult personality in political leaders.