Translation by JOHN WILLETT, presented by arrangement with ALAN BRODIE REPRESENTATION LIMITED
What is a good person? How are they defined? By their ability to uphold the commandments? By faith? By love? By honesty? By doing the best they can?
It is a simple question that, when fully manifested into the mind, takes on profound proportions. How can one be a good person in an imperfect, money-centered, opportunist, dishonest, class-divided society? The audience are left to ponder if we should accept that there is no hope for us, or are there changes we can implement to better our lives?
The play explores universal issues concerning the masks people are forced to wear in order to function in a high octane, pressurised society. We all play our various parts, such as Shen Teh’s ruthless business persona. Shui Ta. The production is timeless and has been created to highlight to an audience how the moral and social issues can easily be applied to our contemporary climate.
Our aim with both our Brechtian productions is to give students an opportunity to observe how V-Effect techniques can be applied to a performance.
Each scene has a specific gestic, political message such as:
‘Love and loyalty is not as important as business’ ‘Love thy neighbour…but don’t trust them’ ‘To survive, you must put selfish interests first’ ‘'The social climate crushes morality and breeds greed and dishonesty’
We highlight these gests and demonstrate a didactic approach to theatre by utilising projections, puppets, a functional set, placards, visible stage management, montage, song, live music, gestic acting, spass, narration, character doubling and audience interaction by breaking the fourth wall.
We provide a teachers pack outlining our rehearsal techniques, overall production concept and a justification as to their importance in communicating a gest and encouraging conscious political and social analysis. length: 1hr 30 min Cast: 4 Space required: 7m x 7m minimum
‘Really well directed – the production flowed and held together brilliantly. Lovely diversity with puppets, costumes and projections.’ (Dominique Neville – Strodes College)
BERTOLT BRECHT’S - ‘The Threepenny Opera’
toured Autumn 2005 – Spring 2006 Music by KURT WEILL, English adaptation by MARC BLITZSTEIN, Presented by arrangement with JOSEF WEINBERGER LIMITED On behalf of R&H THEATRICALS of New York
First performed in Berlin in 1928, Scene Productions brought Brecht’s most successful production to schools across the country.
In the Victorian underworld of beggars, prostitutes and crooks, Macheath (‘Mack the Knife’) thrives on opportunism and sexual magnetism whilst building his fear driven ensemble of dastardly thieves. Brecht's caustic text explores 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 who they betray along the way.
Brecht’s text was brought to life in a gestic, energetic extravaganza, utilising mask, spass, placards, character doubling, narration, gestic acting, montage, live music, audience interaction, and the distinctive, jazzy, dissonant songs and music of Kurt Weill.
The production is no longer on tour, but gestic picture packs are available to order. Please call our office on 01483 821005 length: 1hr 30 min Cast: 5 Space required: 8m x 8m minimum
SOPHOCLES - ‘Antigone’
This was a five hander, allowing students to see the classic Greek text brought to life in a contemporary context.
The production was set in the court of King Creon, ornately decorated with three stark red banners, the middle banner outlining the decree. The colours were used to suggest a tyrannical regime, using symbols similar to the swastika. The chorus were characterised as members of parliament, commenting on the action in a similar way to MP’s in the house of commons. In the centre of the action sat the ill fated throne of Thebes, a black, imposing object, symbolising the fate for anyone connected to it. The aim was to dispel the common interpretation of Antigone as the hero and Creon as the villain. They are two proud characters, each one putting the other in an impossible situation, leading both of them to their tragic downfall.
This production is no longer touring but workshops on Sophocles ‘Antigone’ are still available.
Sunday Sunday - performed Autumn 2004 – Spring 2005
(A one hour adapted drama devised from the play by Sandra Fenichel)
This was a naturalistic production based around two patients in a psychiatric ward and the tedium of an institutional Sunday.
The production utilised Stanislavskian methods of creating, developing and communicating characters and character relationships to an audience. It came with a teachers pack outlining how given circumstances, emotion memory, units and objectives and a personalised approach were achieved through various rehearsal techniques.The aim was to highlight how Stanislavski set about abolishing a generalised, impersonal performance through actors approaching a role truthfully.
length: 1hr 40 min Cast: 2 Space required: 6m x 6m minimum
This is a past production and no longer on tour however the Naturalistic/Stanislavski workshops are still available.
Translation by GERHARD NELLHAUS, presented by arrangement with ALAN BRODIE REPRESENTATION LIMITED Directed by Tracy Collier
‘Herr Bertolt Brecht maintains man equals man – A view that has been around since time began. But then Herr Brecht points out how far one can, manoeuvre and manipulate that man.’
‘Tonight you will see a man reassembled like a car. Leaving all his individual components just as they are’
(Man Equals Man’)
This highly physical production works to expose Identity as something fragile and easily corrupted. Does “free will” exist? Or are human beings merely victims of social construction?
Our aim with our Brechtian productions is to show how V-Effect techniques can be applied to a performance.
Each scene in the play has a specific gestic, political message such as:
‘Power corrupts’ ‘Love and loyalty is not as important as business’ ‘Every man has his price’ ‘Every man is a victim of social construction’
We highlight these gests by creating clear and precise stage pictures. We demonstrate a didactic approach to theatre by utilising projections, masks, a functional set, placards, visible stage management, montage, live music, song, gestic acting, spass, narration, character doubling and audience interaction by breaking the fourth wall.
length: 1hr 20 min Cast: 4 Space required: 7m x 7m minimum Lighting: Basic white wash
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. We are also offering a gestic picture package which includes 30 colour A5 photos of the production, along with a list of gestic messages to use as a teaching aid.
BERTOLT BRECHT’S - The Exception and the Rule
Translation by RALPH MANHEIM, Presented by arrangement with ALAN BRODIE REPRESENTATION LIMITED Directed by Katharine Hurst & Kelly Taylor.
“Behind the gangs of bandits, follow courts and judges.
And when an unoffending man is killed, Judges gather over his remains and accuse the dead.
Over the murdered man’s grave, They murder his rights”
(The Exception and the Rule)
We are about to tell you the story of a journey. One man exploits, the others are exploited. Examine the class differences between rich and poor. Witness how the poor ‘lose out’ while the rich ‘get off lightly’. Consider the merciless logic of class warfare and where you have recognised abuse… do something about it.
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.
We are also offering a gestic picture package which includes 30 colour A5 photos of the production, along with a list of gestic messages to use as a teaching aid.
length: Approx 1hr + Optional 20minute post show discussion Cast: 3 Space required: Approx 7m x 7m Lighting: Basic white wash
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.
CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE’S – Dr Faustus (Sept 2009 - May 2010)
This workshop has been designed to give students a taster of three distinctive practitioners to help inform their devising and scripted work.
We take a ten minute section of the play and perform that same section three times with set props, music and costume in three different practitioner styles:
1hr or 2hr includes 30min performance (1hr incl 30min Theory Q&A - 2hr incl 30min Theory Q&A & 1hr Practical workshop)
'It was an excellent and unique experience that the students will certainly not forget.’
(Gateacre Community College)
BRECHT ARTAUD BERKOFF
The performance will be supported by either a discussion or a practical workshop where the students can try these styles for themselves. The session is supported with a detailed teacher’s pack describing the themes of the play and how we approached and applied each practitioner’s style.
This is a challenging workshop and students must be made aware beforehand that they will be blindfolded at the start and that loud sound effects and strong visual images will be used. The workshop is not suitable for students suffering from severe asthma, panic attacks or who have a physical condition that restricts movement. They will be perfectly safe throughout but the subject matter and incredibly physical style of the Artaudian performance must be made clear to them before they take part.
Please note, these bookings require a black box space (or any space that can be made dark) and a low white lighting wash. If you don't have lighting we can provide our own. A blacked out space however is essential. Please discuss your facilities with us when you make your booking.
'I thought the Total Theatre experience of the Artaud section taught them more about his style of theatre in 10 minutes than you can convey in several lessons. As ever, a thoroughly professional, engaging and useful approach.’
This workshop has been designed to give students a taster of three distinctive practitioners to help inform their devising and scripted work.
