Decolonizing Performance: Wole Soyinka’s Synthesis of Theatrical Traditions in Death and the King’s Horseman

This research article seeks to focus on exploring the diverse facets of Wole Soyinka's blending of indigenous and Western performance traditions in his groundbreaking tragedy, Death and the King's Horseman. This research article, through the examination of Soyinka's inventive dramaturgy in Death and the King's Horseman, explores how the playwright challenges the established norms of the stage by subverting the dominance of western theatrical conventions. The article underscores the dexterous integration of Yoruba cultural elements with Western dramatic techniques that Soyinka employs in his performances, resulting in a theatrical experience that transcends cultural boundaries. This study further explores how this fusion functions as a form of resistance against the cultural domination of Europe. This article posits that Soyinka's creative combination of African and Western theatrical traditions in Death and the King's Horseman serves the greater purpose of decolonizing the stage. Soyinka's incorporation of indigenous performance idioms contributes to the growth of the nationalist cultural renaissance, revitalizing indigenous artistic tradition.