Review Politics and performance legacy from Brecht

Brecht’s influences underpin post 1950’s performance in theatre Quick review Actors directly address the audience Plays with music Actors play multiple roles Use of mask Sets symbolic- minimal Montage – two scenes on stage at the same time Significant changes in what theatre was trying to achieve Style Break the fourth wall Epic themes and stories Placards /slides to give information

Politics and Performance 1960’s- 1980’s Exploring developments in Theatre – Film TV Agit prop Social Issue based content Themes about working class lives Social realism

The context

It began in the 1960’s There was an upsurge of ‘Alternative Theatre’ and the formation of several socialist theatre groups The changing landscape of Europe after the war was one of economic growth and stability High Employment Education Healthcare and Welfare Development of new technologies in film, TV, radio and recording music.

1968 A year of social unrest Mark Kurlansky’s book, calls it ‘The Year That Rocked the World’ Political activism of a sympathy with radical leftist (socialist) politics Development of ‘youth culture’ movement

yNOfAhttp:// yNOfA Grosvenor square riots 1968

A desire to change and question society and governments through the performing arts

Significant changes

Develops an Opportunity to Cultivate different performance styles Give voice to many innovative young radical writers Create space to explore contemporary social issues Establishing of smaller and non-traditional theatre venues in which artists can experiment freely Opens the door to many fresh new acting talents

Radical Theatres and Travelling companies Theatre Workshop Royal Court Oval House Hackney Empire Bush Theatre Hull Truck Everyman Theatre (Liverpool) Live Theatre (Newcastle) Community arts Many companies were committed to touring and taking theatre to the people. Working men's clubs Community centres Youth clubs Sports halls Rural tours e.g converted bus that became a theatre Street Performances

Politics and Performing Arts ‘Alternative’ Theatre Movement

Theatre Unity Theatre Theatre Workshop led by Joan Littlewood ‘Oh What A Lovely War Red Ladder Belt And Braces North-West Spanner Dario Fo and Franca Rama ( from Italy) 7:84 led by John McGrath

AGIT PROP – A Popular political theatre style Agit-prop – wants to create an immediate impact It is overtly political and may openly takes a specific point standpoint. From the early thirties political theatre set out to identify, in its work, with the lives and language of the industrial working class. The aim was -for a theatre that was easily understood but able to deal with complex subjects though a variety of theatrical styles. To reach out to a wide diversity of audiences - from the Comedy Theatre in London's West End to the Butlin's Holiday Camps.

Issue Based devised and written plays Many companies would take an important social – political issue and devise a performance Community groups were given an opportunity to create performance through workshops the miners strike homelessness working conditions

Issue Based devised dance performance Dance groups use narrative and issues to choreograph work Choreographers Christopher Bruce Alvin Ailey Martha Graham Bob Fosse ( musicals – jazz dance ) 1986 DV8 and Lloyd Newson.

Music and political lyrics Popular and Rock Music Beatles Rolling Stones Pink Floyd Folk and Protest Songs Ewan Mcall and Peggy Seager Bob Dylan Joan Biaz Billy Brag

Playwrights Margaret Darcy John Mcgrath Steve Gooch Caryl Churchill John Godber Willie Russell Colin Welland Shelagh Delaney Andrea Dunbar Dario Fo Franca Rama Timberlake Wertenbaker Edward Bond David Hare Howard Barker David Edgar Barry Keeffe

Social Realism

social realism Look Back in Anger Cathy come Home Saturday Night and Sunday Morning A kind of Loving Room at the top Boys from the black stuff Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner Kes Coronation Street

Related to the New Wave fed by the 'Angry Young Men' of 1950s theatre, Social realism comes to film and TV One of the strongest images of postwar British cinema is that of factory worker Arthur Seaton downing a pint in one at the end of another week in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960). A Kind of Loving (1962) brought wide shots and plain speaking to stories of ordinary Britons negotiating the social structures of post-war Britain.

Thanks to the relaxation of censorship, characters had sex lives, money worries, social problems. British film makers like Karel Reisz, Tony Richardson and John Schlesinger dealt with prostitution, abortion, homosexuality, alienation and relationship problems. Here were factory workers, office underlings, dissatisfied wives, pregnant girlfriends, runaways, the marginalized, poor and depressed.

Writers and film makers Ken Loach Mike Leigh Karel Reisz, Tony Richardson Alan Clarke Barry Hines Alan Sillitoe John Schlesinger

Films /TV you could watch Films Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Room at the Top Kes Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner Made in Dagenham BBC TV Early episodes of Coronation Street watch?v=Z_7Z3046_dg Current programmes White Heat History of the British Musical