BERTOLD BRECHT’S - The Threepenny Opera (Sept 2009 - May 2010)
Music by KURT WEILL
Book & Lyrics by BERTOLD BRECHT
English adaptation by MARC BLITZSTEIN
Presented by arrangement with JOSEF WEINBERGER LTD
on behalf of R&H THEATRICALS of New York
Directed by Katharine Hurst & Kelly Taylor Smith
(1hr 15minutes Performance)
'
The performance was simply outstanding! The best touring theatre performance I have ever seen. The actors were truly engaging and their energy captured my student’s attention and sparked their imagination. The performance left both students and staff buzzing. It has been the talk of the school’
(Chaucer Business and Enterprise College)
In the Victorian underworld of beggars, prostitutes and crooks, Macheath (‘Mack the Knife’) thrives on opportunism and sexual magnetism whilst leading his fear driven ensemble of dastardly thieves. Brecht's caustic text and Weill’s distinctive, jazzy songs reveal a society where honour is fleeting and corruption thrives. The central characters are colourful, shallow and seedy, always on the look out to make a financial gain, regardless of whom they betray along the way. Our aim with our Brechtian productions is to show how V-Effect techniques can be applied to a performance.
This production will give students a thorough grounding in Ensemble work and Brechtian theatre conventions such as:
Placards, mask, montage,song, music, a functional set, visible stage management, breaking the fourth wall, character doubling, gestus, spass and narration.
We provide a teacher’s pack which clearly defines Brechtian theory and Epic theatre.
The pack also provides a breakdown of the techniques incorporated into the show alongside a justification as to their importance in communicating a gest and encouraging conscious political and social analysis.
'6 weeks worth of lessons served up in 2 hours!’
(Aldenham School)
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