Over 70 boys, along with members of the general public, gathered in the Quarry Theatre at the end of last term to attend a fascinating lecture from Professor David Barnett on the theatre of Bertolt Brecht.
Professor David Bennett is one of the country’s leading academics on Bertolt Brecht’s theories and considered to be the most prolific in this field. His lecture entitled Bertolt Brecht: The Theory and Practice of a Politicized Theatre focused on the main aspect of politics and disagreement within Brecht’s plays, as well as providing background information on his life and the political climate.
The lecture was extremely relevant for our drama students, as they will soon be performing Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle as part of this summer’s Creative Arts Festival. This was the driving force behind President of the Drama Society Upper Sixth Former Charlie Lawrence’s organisation of the lecture, who aimed to help the cast and other pupils to learn more about the play and Brechtian theory, ahead of staging one of his plays.
Charlie commented, “The lecture enabled me to view Brecht and his work from a different perspective and consider the multiple approaches that can be taken towards understanding his work. It has developed my understanding of his methodology and style of creating theatre, and the elements necessary in order to replicate his style correctly.”
During the lecture, Prof. Bennett spoke about the legal and moral questions presented within the play as, well as the effect they may have on an audience.
Charlie went on to say, “In particular, I found the discussion on the presentation of binaries and opposites to be highly insightful in highlighting the core elements of a conflict, not just within plays, but also in politics and real-life events.”
Not only did Prof. Bennett’s talk resonate with the boys, but also with our external visitors. One member of the audience explained after the event, “Professor Barnett’s talk opened my mind more than any other lecture I have listened to.”
This is just one of the many external speakers and practitioners that the Drama Society has welcomed into school and there is more to come this term with wide-ranging talks in the diary. From Jez Butterworth on British Tragedy and Women in Greek Comedy and Tragedy to Old Bedfordian Jonny Hosking, who will also be delivering a talk.