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Get tips on theatre and art from other Mumsnetters on our Culture forum.

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Get tips on theatre and art from other Mumsnetters on our Culture forum.

Culture vultures

Blu........... let's talk Brecht!!!!!!!!!!!!

32 replies

MarsLady · 19/05/2007 16:51

Skimmed through the cultural blind spot thread... stopped when my head began to hurt at some of the things that people hated etc.......

Then I saw you mention Brecht! I've just read The Life Of Gallileo and I wanted your thoughts.

So........... what are your thoughts?

I understand Brecht doesn't write to engage us and he likes his old emotional detachment..... but now I want to tap your mine of information.

OP posts:

Report

MarsLady · 22/05/2007 16:21

Oh Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Spidermama · 22/05/2007 16:29

Mars we did Brecht at drama school. I suppose it's quite quaint now with all his commie chorus's and alienation devices etc. Does anyone still do it then?

I love the music and the Brecht/Weill combo. Lotte Lenya on vocals. Very evocative.

Blu won't be on til this evening btw but bumping for you.

motherinferior · 22/05/2007 16:31

I like a spot of Brecht/Weill too.

Saturn74 · 22/05/2007 16:32

motherinferior · 22/05/2007 16:36

Let's go to Benares...

katierocket · 22/05/2007 16:45

god I hated Brecht, too worthy for me

ShrinkingViolet · 22/05/2007 17:05

We did some Brecht in German A Level - The Good Woman of Szechuan took a bit of time to get my head round, what with all the Chinese stuff on top of the "it's all in foreign" panic. Never read/seen it in English though.

Spidermama · 22/05/2007 17:48

I used to love belting out this at drama school ...

You said a lot Johnny
But nothing true Johnny
You lied and cheating Johnny
All down the line.

I hate you still Johnny
As you stand and sneer Johnny
(Spoken) So take that pipe out of your mouth you swine!

Spidermama · 22/05/2007 17:51

We were so camp.

AitchTwoOh · 22/05/2007 17:54

i saw glenda jackson as mother courage. v boring, she interpreted it as a soppy tragedy so all the fun alienation stuff went to the wall.

Spidermama · 22/05/2007 18:00

Aitch I think it's pretty hard to inject fun into Brecht on the whole.

So you saw Glenda as Mother Courage. Doesn't that make you very old indeed?

glitterfairy · 22/05/2007 18:08

I played the jewish wife at college. Our head of drama loed brecht. Ask beets she is an expert.

AitchTwoOh · 22/05/2007 18:15

i find all the big picture stuff fun with brecht, all the technical business. she just made it boring, i thought and it went on for Hours. blah blah blah profiting from conflict, blah blah blah oops another dead child blah blah blah. nothing to get your teeth into and v yawnsome. and i was a slip of a girl when i saw it.

motherinferior · 22/05/2007 18:44

I saw Judi Dench as Mother Courage, back in the dark ages.

I am clearly warped, as I find some of those songs quite marvellous. There is a tavern in the tow-how-how-hown....

AitchTwoOh · 22/05/2007 18:48

ooooh i love the songs, they're brilliant. [also warped]

MarsLady · 22/05/2007 18:55

Ladies.... I need to talk specifically about The Life of Galileo

So........ what do you think of it? Particularly in terms of new and historical theatre.

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Blu · 22/05/2007 19:09

Now, thanks to you, Mars, I have to admit that I haven't read Galileo, and my MN Cultural credentials will plummet!

And only this morning I was thinking of starting a thread in which we write the Brecht-Weill Mn Musical....

"Show me the way to the next Fruit-Shoot Row
Oh don't ask why..."

I think I will read it over half term, if that is soon enough for you?

Meanwhile all the other Brecht-Weill fans can get on with the discussion!

MarsLady · 25/05/2007 09:25

That would be perfect blu.

How could your credentials plummet??????????? Such a well-read MNer as you!!!!!!!!!!!!

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MarsLady · 27/05/2007 10:59

Hope you're reading Blu

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MarsLady · 17/06/2007 23:05

Well???????????????????????? Did you read it?

What do you have to say about Brecht and New Historicist theatre?

Well????????? Well????????????????????????/

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essbeehindyou · 17/06/2007 23:06

Message withdrawn

emkana · 17/06/2007 23:10

I have a degree in German literature, and I'm German myself, so I should be able to talk about this shouldn't I? Sadly my brain has been demolished by all the baby stuff.

When I was at school we looked at Galilei and compared it to Friedrich Duerrenmatt's "The Physicists" - very interesting it was too.

Brecht has done some wonderful poetry btw.

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emkana · 17/06/2007 23:11

[http://www.poemhunter.com/bertolt-brecht/poems/page-1/]

emkana · 17/06/2007 23:13

www.poemhunter.com/bertolt-brecht/poems/page-1/

Goodness me links are so easy now and I still get it wrong!

BeatrootandBenedick · 17/06/2007 23:15

are you still on about hte life of G>

i have not read either though I saw it at the National a few years back.

whats your problem???

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