Brecht Workshops

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Placards- a sign that gives infomation

They can be used for a vairity of different reasons for example:

• subtitles 
• date card
• inner thoughts 
• a zoom in on a text that is seen in a programme 

Narration- when someone tells the story

In the Wolves of Willoughby Case the narration is told mainly by the course but some of the characters do it too (eg- Miss Slycarp, Sylvia, Bonnie) 

Narration can come in different way, eg- first person narration, third person narration, in character. 

Anything at all can narrate for example a chair can come out, say their line and then they can go back and be chair.

Stereotype/Characture- "a picture, description, or imitation of a person in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque effect." (Google dictionary)

Stereotypes-  a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. (Google Search) 

Eg- Chavs, homosexuals, Muslims. 

Epic Theatre-
It is a theatrical movement used by many practioners.



How does the Wolves create Verfremdungseffekt?

• Projection
• Changing costume on stage 
• unaturalistic looking set 
• Narration/Chorus
• Physical Theatre
• Song
• Caricatures  
• Stereotypes 

We did some small improve sections, using placards. The first bit had to be comical and funny but then you had to hit the audience with a theatrical slap in the face 

In our section it was a couple talking about their first time at going to have sex, when they where talking the boy was saying 'we can take our time we don't have to rush, its okay if you are not ready' but on his placard it was saying 'why doesn't she hurry just the frigid bitch', the girl was saying 'no i want to i really do, we can do it this Saturday' but her placard was saying 'i don't want to i am far to scared'

We did another section where it was between a doctor and her patient, the patient had come with some suspicious injuries which the doctor seem to be taking notice of but on his placard we discover that he dint seem to be even on this planet as he was more bothered about what he was going to have for his dinner than what was actually happening to one of his patients. The story was that the pacient had been abused at home by her husband and there was no way that she could bring herself to tell the doctors what was actually going on at home so she was making up lies and stories but tryin her best at the same time to get the doctor to she that she actually was lying. She would say things like have broken ribs because i fell down the stair when in actual fact her husband had threw her down the stairs, she had broken her wrist from trying to break her fall when actually it was trying to defend herself against him. The final placard that we show is from the patient saying 'why cant you see that i am lying? Why wont you just see the truth behind the lie?' 

I found doing this exercise very interesting as you are able to shock the audience more with the things that you don't more than the thing that you do.

How did Brecht's technique help us with the performance of TWOWC?

It cant be said for fact that Brecht was a direct influence in the writing of the play but there a essences of his technique in there.

Some sections of the play were narrated by the character