Hello... It's me... I was wondering if after all these months you'd like to read a blog post I've written, about a show I'm in...? (Get me with all my pop culture references...!)
In all seriousness, it's been an absolute age since I last posted on here. This is mostly because I've been hectically busy with PhD work, shows and sometimes a (helpful) combination of both - and the latter is especially true this week, since we have been making final preparations for our collaborative production of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera, which opens tonight. So, in a rare moment of downtime, I thought I should probably write about it - because it's a piece that is so relevant, not just to my personal thesis-related exploits, but to society as a whole. In the spirit of the trios in the play (because it's billed as 'a play with music'), therefore, I've compiled a list of three reasons why I love it so much.
1) It stretches the boundaries of what theatre is or 'should be', and of what theatre can do. Due to the fact that this is arguably Brecht's best-known work, this point is perhaps a tad obvious. Nevertheless, it is an important one, because people often forget that theatre is never 'just entertainment' (though of course entertainment is a perfectly valid and wonderful aspect of it). It can be a powerful tool for the political engagement of audiences, and the techniques used in the show actively foreground this possibility. In our version, the distance between the world of the characters and the world of the audience is both emphasised and bridged by the ever-present (and fabulous!) Movement Ensemble, who form props and set with their bodies, as well as acting out lines spoken by the Vocal Chorus (of which I am part).
2) It critiques the dominant narratives surrounding gender, disability and poverty. This is not to say it is an easy watch, by any means (Content Warning for copious usage of the words 'whore', 'slut' and 'cripple', along with questionable lyrics regarding race), but it broaches topics such as rape culture, prostitution, domestic violence and the ableist perception of disabled people as both objects of pity and 'scroungers', and explores the way that minority groups are exploited by, and co-opted into, the capitalist project. These discussions are just as pertinent today, perhaps even more so than in the original contexts, because society believes that we have moved past the need for them, but the testimony of the victim in the Stanford case, the current statistics around rape and sexual assault, and the year on year increase in disability hate crime would suggest otherwise.
3) The music is incredible. This last point might seem rather prosaic in comparison to the others, but actually it is integral to the success of both. Kurt Weill's catchy tunes (the most well-known of which is probably 'Mack the Knife') cleverly lull the audience into complicity - until you find yourself singing along and then actually listen to the lyrics. This, for me, is the key to all the most powerful art.
So that's my list - if it's sparked your interest and you're in the area, why not pick up a ticket (link below). Hopefully you'll end up loving it as much as I do!
http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/whats-on/2016/the-threepenny-opera/
In all seriousness, it's been an absolute age since I last posted on here. This is mostly because I've been hectically busy with PhD work, shows and sometimes a (helpful) combination of both - and the latter is especially true this week, since we have been making final preparations for our collaborative production of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera, which opens tonight. So, in a rare moment of downtime, I thought I should probably write about it - because it's a piece that is so relevant, not just to my personal thesis-related exploits, but to society as a whole. In the spirit of the trios in the play (because it's billed as 'a play with music'), therefore, I've compiled a list of three reasons why I love it so much.
1) It stretches the boundaries of what theatre is or 'should be', and of what theatre can do. Due to the fact that this is arguably Brecht's best-known work, this point is perhaps a tad obvious. Nevertheless, it is an important one, because people often forget that theatre is never 'just entertainment' (though of course entertainment is a perfectly valid and wonderful aspect of it). It can be a powerful tool for the political engagement of audiences, and the techniques used in the show actively foreground this possibility. In our version, the distance between the world of the characters and the world of the audience is both emphasised and bridged by the ever-present (and fabulous!) Movement Ensemble, who form props and set with their bodies, as well as acting out lines spoken by the Vocal Chorus (of which I am part).
2) It critiques the dominant narratives surrounding gender, disability and poverty. This is not to say it is an easy watch, by any means (Content Warning for copious usage of the words 'whore', 'slut' and 'cripple', along with questionable lyrics regarding race), but it broaches topics such as rape culture, prostitution, domestic violence and the ableist perception of disabled people as both objects of pity and 'scroungers', and explores the way that minority groups are exploited by, and co-opted into, the capitalist project. These discussions are just as pertinent today, perhaps even more so than in the original contexts, because society believes that we have moved past the need for them, but the testimony of the victim in the Stanford case, the current statistics around rape and sexual assault, and the year on year increase in disability hate crime would suggest otherwise.
3) The music is incredible. This last point might seem rather prosaic in comparison to the others, but actually it is integral to the success of both. Kurt Weill's catchy tunes (the most well-known of which is probably 'Mack the Knife') cleverly lull the audience into complicity - until you find yourself singing along and then actually listen to the lyrics. This, for me, is the key to all the most powerful art.
So that's my list - if it's sparked your interest and you're in the area, why not pick up a ticket (link below). Hopefully you'll end up loving it as much as I do!
http://www.warwickartscentre.co.uk/whats-on/2016/the-threepenny-opera/
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