Drama as a Tool for Religious Spirituality: A Study of Igatibi and Pari by Ahmed Yerima

Abstract

This study examines drama as a mediating bridge between religion and spirituality in contemporary Nigerian society through an analysis of Ahmed Yerima's Igatibi (2011) and Pari (2016). While existing scholarship has explored religion and spirituality in African drama, limited attention has been paid to how theatre functions as a performative space for negotiating competing religious worldviews and facilitating spiritual reflection. Adopting a qualitative textual analysis, the study is anchored on Performance Theory and Postcolonial Religious Discourse to examine how characterisation, symbolism, dialogue, and ritual enactment construct spiritual meaning within the selected plays. Findings reveal that Yerima employs drama as a critical site for interrogating religious extremism, promoting tolerance, and reasserting the relevance of African indigenous spirituality. Whereas Igatibi foregrounds the consequences of abandoning ancestral traditions, Pari exposes the complexities of faith under conditions of violence, insecurity, and trauma. The study argues that drama transcends representation to become a medium of spiritual mediation through which religious identities and beliefs are negotiated. It concludes that theatre possesses significant potential for fostering understanding, coexistence, and critical reflection in religiously plural societies.