Brecht & Epic Theatre
Who was Brecht?
Bertolt Brecht is regarded by many as one of the most influential theatre practitioners of the 20th century.
Born in Germany in 1898, Brecht’s modernist departure from the traditional conventions of theatre revolutionised the relationship between the audience and the actors, introducing an idealogical forum for social issues and causes.
His style of theatre was heavily influenced by the politics of the day and Brecht wanted, not to create an illusion for his audience but present them with a style of theatre that allowed them to come to their own conclusions about the content. Although he was a Marxist and held leftist views, his productions were intended to alienate his audiences to such a degree that they had think rationally for themselves to find meaning in the play.
His style is a direct contrast to the conventions of the day that were based on realism and the effort to ‘transport’ the audience with staging, lighting, costumes and props. Even the method of acting he developed which was intended to alienate and make the audience feel detached was in opposition to the system method of acting made popular by Stanislavsky.
Brecht was also a poet and a playwright.
Our next Brecht & Epic Theatre Course will run in the summer of 2025.
Ufton Drama: Epic Theatre and Brecht
Next Course: Summer 2025
The course will practically explore the genre of Epic Theatre from its inception in the mid-20th century as a way to heighten the focus within politcal theatre and its evolution to the ladnscape of contemporary theatre. We will focus on the role of the influential theatre practitioner Brecht.
Students will explore the performance and staging conventions of Epic Theatre through workshops and devised work in groups. The course will use the Home Front of World War Two as subject matter for final devised pieces. The course will be totally practical yet will provide students with comprehensive documentation to assist their further studies.