Abstract :
Theatre is one of the oldest art forms and one can rightly claim that the fundamental act of theatre occurs whenever an actor or actress communicates directly through actions and words to an audience. Various techniques, materials and settings may be employed in the communication process. Costumes and Make-up are paramount among the elements used in relating human experiences to an audience. The theatrical art is a premodial experience and for this reason, the history of theatre must start from pre-literary period in traditional societies, long before the western conception of the origins of theatre. Theatre as an art form is generally conceded in Western culture to have begun with the Greeks. A part of the reason for this generally accepted idea lies in the fact that it is from ancient Greece that we inherited the first written down play scripts. This claim however, has come under contention following more recent historical findings. We are aware that in his attempt to meet one of his primal necessities (getting food), early man was forced to disguise himself to look like the animals he hunted. Using costumes and make-up he was able to show his fellow tribesmen how he made his instruments, impliments and weapons, or how he was able to overcome and capture the animals he used for his meals. The arts of costume and make-up developed alongside the art of drama. From the pre-literary period to the Egyptian period, down to the Greek period of theatre history; to the 20th century and beyond, costume and make-up have developed and evolved over the years to become indispensable arts of theatre practice. We shall examine this historical development alongside the development of Nigerian Theatre practice, inorder to expose the centrality of the arts of costume and make-up to theatre practice.
