Brecht and post-1990s British drama : dialectical theatre today / / Anja Hartl

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910717411003321
• Autore: Hartl Anja
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: London : , : Bloomsbury Publishing, , 2020
• ISBN: 9781350172814; 1350172812; 9781350172807; 1350172804; 9781350172791; 1350172790
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (203 pages) : illustrations
• Disciplina: 822.9209
• Soggetti: Theater - Great Britain - History - 20th century; Theatre History and Criticism; Drama & Performance Studies; European Theatre
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references (pages 173-188) and index.
• Nota di contenuto: 1. 'In-Yer-Face' Theatre and the Crisis of Dialectics: Mark Ravenhill's Post-Brechtian Drama in Anti-Dialectical Times -- 1.1 The Post-Brechtian Parable: Some Explicit Polaroids -- 1.2 Resisting the Banal Dialectic of (Counter-)Terrorism: Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat -- 1.3 Conclusion -- 2. Reimagining Brecht: David Greig's Theatre of Dissensus -- 2.1 Appropriating the Imagination in Dunsinane -- 2.2 Interrupting Empathy: The Events -- 2.3 Conclusion -- 3. Strategic Naivety: The Dialectic of Sincerity in Andy Smith and Tim Crouch's Work -- 3.1 Post-Brechtian Meta-Theatre: all that is solid melts into air -- 3.2 The Limits of Sincerity: The Author -- 3.3 Conclusion -- 4. Political Theatre Between Dialectics and Absurdity: Caryl Churchill's Twenty-First-Century Plays -- 4.1 Dystopian Negativity: Escaped Alone -- 4.2 Deconstructing the Dialectic: Here We Go -- 4.3 Conclusion.
• Sommario/riassunto: "Can theatre change the world? If so, how can it productively connect ; with social reality and foster spectatorial critique and engagement? This book examines the forms and functions of political drama in what has been described as a post-Marxist, post-ideological, even post-political moment. It argues that Bertolt Brecht's concept of dialectical theatre represents a privileged theoretical and dramaturgical method on the contemporary British stage as well as a valuable lens for understanding 21st-century theatre in Britain. Establishing a creative philosophical dialogue between Brecht, Walter Benjamin, Theodor W. Adorno and Jacques Rancière, the study analyses seminal works by five influential contemporary playwrights, ranging from Mark Ravenhill's 'in-yer-face' plays to Caryl Churchill's 21st century theatrical experiments. Engaging critically with Brecht's theatrical legacy, these plays create a politically progressive form of drama which emphasises notions of negativity, ambivalence and conflict as a prerequisite for spectatorial engagement and emancipation. This book adopts an interdisciplinary and intercultural theoretical approach, reuniting English and German perspectives and innovatively weaving together a variety of theoretical strands to offer fresh insights on Brecht's legacy, on British theatre history and on the selected plays"--Abstract.