Major Trends in 20th Century British Drama

Question 1

Who contributed to British drama: realism on stage?

Answer 1

Bernard Shaw

Question 2

Theatre of the Absurd - influences?

Answer 2

• Brecht’s epic theatre (German: Verfremdungseffekt)
• Vaudeville
• Dadaism
• Surrealism
• Existentialism
• WWII

Question 3

Murphy

Answer 3

Samuel Beckett
- antinovel

Question 4

The Birthday Party, The Caretaker and The Homecoming

Answer 4

Harold Pinter
- a special kind of absurd drama - “comedy of menace”

Question 5

What is the “comedy of menace?”

Answer 5

Harold Pinter
- based on the play of domination and submission hidden in the most mundane of conversations
- his plays are models of power structures

Question 6

“Pinteresque”

Answer 6

= “of or relating to the British playwright, Harold Pinter, or his works”)

• dimly interior
• ppl trying to fight for dominance
• actions motivated by aggression towards each other
• language is vulgar and colloquial
• long pauses

Question 7

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Answer 7

Tom Stoppard

Question 8

Absurd Person Singular

Answer 8

Alan Ayckbourn

Question 9

What does “Stoppardian” mean?

Answer 9

= a term describing works using wit and comedy while addressing serious philosophical concepts and issues

Question 10

Another development in British drama - realism (a “kitchen-sink” realism)

Answer 10

John Osborne

Question 11

Mrs Warren’s Profession

Answer 11

Bernard Shaw

Question 12

Distinctive features of Beckett’s absurd plays:

Answer 12

• inability to communicate
• an absence of the plot
• unspecified characters who do not understand themselves
• very vague (charcters, settings…)
• God is absent
• no certainties

Question 13

In-Yer-Face theatre (authors)

Answer 13

Sarah Kane: Blasted
Mark Ravenhill: Shopping and Fucking