How Does Your Performance Use the Techniques and Conventions Similar to Mother Courage in Order to Portray a Political Performance?

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Informing the audience on an issue within Brechtian theatre, is the term known as didactic. Another key convention in the process of enlightening the audience on that issue in which making them think and what’s actually going on in society. During scene 6 of ‘Mother Courage’, she talks about war is doing them aka destroying and mutilating them. This leads into dialectic, displaying two views. In scene 7, mother courage sings about being a business opportunity, ‘I won’t have you folk ruinin’ my war for me’, showing another point of view. In scene 6 she says war is horrible and destroying people but then switches to it being noble thing. These alternating points of view can be seen at the beginning of scene 6 with the Solider, about how war being his life and how it’s meant for him, where the Chaplin discusses how war is inevitable, simply a part of life but the Clerk has a different opinion, wishing the war was over and to go back home. These different views are sometimes shown through song to make it more striking. In Our group performance the dialectic is seen through Mr Joy as perceives to have opinion of liking and caring for the toys in front of society but behind doors he actually doesn’t care giving them to anyone who wants them for the ‘pleasure’ of the customer in the trafficking world.

Brecht’s alienation effect known as Verfremdungseffekt, is a Brechtian theatre technique which aims to detach the audience emotionally, increase their response to the play within their society and focus what’s going on in society, not individual characters. Scene 3 of ‘Mother Courage’, she, cook and the Chaplin debate the thirty years of war. The Cook already here is critical voice and finds irony in Chaplin’s opinion. The alienation effect comes into role when the three characters are placed behind the wagon, at this time Kattrin trying on red boots. Be moving the characters behind wagon obstructs the audience identification but creates a distance making the audience to reflect on the issue. Similarity in our group’s performance, the verfremdungseffekt is introduce within song, narration and when other characters ‘trade in’ or ‘buy’ the toys for the desire of customer, this distance the audience from the performance as a play but as actual issue within our society that needs to be dealt with.

Brechtian theatre is about the issues within the society at the current time rather than developing a story hence leading many his plays to become a portrayal of a political performance. Therefore his play ‘Mother Courage’ and our group performance, ‘Mr Joy’s Funtime Toys’ both use many similarities in Brechtian techniques and conventions in stagecraft and that of characterization. This ensures the actors do not to fully become their role but rather demonstrate the character in the play yet again creating that sense of detachment. Brecht’s ideal was to continually challenge the audience, making them aware they were simply watching a political message not a fairy tale. All these techniques and conventions produce a political performance, clearly demonstrated in the group performance and ‘Mother courage’.