Children in Nollywood: Authenticity and naturalness of acting craft

Abstract

Authentic acting is truthful and consistent, fostering an immutable connection with an audience. It presumes naturalness in the presentation, imbued with feeling, yet a performative self, playing for the camera. A child actor may be charming and cute on the camera but lacking in craft, raising the question of performance authenticity. Existing literature has revealed that contemporary acting promotes naturalness in enactments, compelling a suspension of disbelief. This study addresses the challenges impacting the quality of child performance in Nollywood, such as authenticity, naturalness, selfhood, and the talent pool. This study examined whether a child’s unaffected and immature nature could be averse to truthful theatrical depictions. Research suggests that a lack of training is one of the factors impacting authentic child-acting in Nollywood. Spontaneity theory and the Meisner acting technique form the theoretical framework and validate a child actor’s dependence on spontaneous freshness and imaginative play in role enactment. Research is exploratory and relies on qualitative data from in-depth interviews with filmmakers to analyze child-acting craft. The findings show that formal training for child actors can elevate their craft; spontaneity reinforces naturalness; and when juvenile actors wield naturalness, the performance is authentic.