The dissertation deals with the Municipal Theatre of Göteborg with special reference to the period between 1967 and 1971, during which the group theatre developed and paved the way for a repertoire of social criticism. The theatre debate is viewed against the background of the socio-economic, ideo­logical, and cultural development of the 1960,s. After describing conditions at the Municipal Theatre of Göteborg under Mats Johansson's management from 1962 onwards, the study concentrates on analysing three group theatre plays produced by Lennart Hjulström: Flotten (spring 1967) by Kent Andersson, Hemmet (autumn 1967) by Kent Andersson and Bengt Bratt, and Sandlådan (autumn 1968) by Kent Andersson. The first play thematizes the ideological confusion of the middle-aged generation, the second the disappointment of the aged at the betrayal of socialist ideals, and the third the manipulative repression of children's education. A series of stagings with strong elements of social criticism caused a long and intense debate in the summer of 1969 about both the repertoire and the internal conditions of the Municipal Theatre. In spring, 1971, Kent Andersson and Bengt Bratt wrote Tillståndet (an ambiguous title meaning both 'condition' and 'permission'), by which the authors intended to ex­pose the repressive tolerance of bourgeois society. This play functions as an evaluation of both the group theatre period and the situation of the theatre as a whole, and it is therefore analysed in a metaperspective. It also functions as a summary of the criticism of the Swedish welfare state. / digitalisering@umu

This project aims to develop and explore questions of theatre as public discourse and the representation of England and Englishness in contemporary British theatre during the period 2000-2010. I present a dual focus in this practice-led research process, creating an original creative work, Albion Unbound, alongside an academic thesis. I describe the relationship between play and thesis as ‘dialogic’ with reference to the work of Mikhail Bakhtin. His ideas on language, subjectivity and authorship offer an insightful perspective upon the theory and practice of theatre-making, but Bakhtin himself makes a concerted claim for drama’s inherent monologism, generically incapable of developing genuine dialogic relations between its constituent voices. Chapter One explores the ‘case against drama’ and identifies the different senses of theatrical dialogism which emerge in critical response. Chapter Two considers Bakhtin’s work around carnival, the grotesque and the history of laughter, framed within a debate about the ‘politics of form’ in the theatrical representation of madness and mental illness. A key division emerges between political, discursive theatre and experimental theatre, as I question the boundaries of Bakhtin’s ideas. Chapter Three questions the nature of political theatre and its British traditions via Janelle Reinelt and Gerald Hewitt’s claim that David Edgar represents the ‘model’ political playwright engaged in theatre as ‘public discourse’. I focus upon three-thematically linked of Edgar’s plays, Destiny, Playing with Fire and Testing the Echo to engage questions of the ‘state-of-the-nation’ play and Edgar’s varied formal strategies employed in constructing his dramatic worlds and the political discourse he seeks with an audience. Chapter Four extends this debate to question the alleged ‘return of the political’ in new writing between 2000-2010 and specifically a body of plays which engage issues of nation and identity – those plays contemporaneous to Albion Unbound. Chapter Five provides a reflexive conclusion, elaborating upon the creative, collaborative process of making Albion Unbound, accounting for its successes and failures as a piece of contemporary theatre. I also reflect upon the relationship of theory and practice the project has developed, the dialogic relationship between thesis and play. Chapter Six is the play itself, as it was performed.

L'objectif ici est de repenser la question du politique et du théâtre, en se situant au-delà de la problématique de l'engagement. à partir d'un corpus contemporain incluant «les barbares sont arrivés» de Stasiuk, «invasion!» de Khemiri, les oeuvres de Vinaver et de Crimp, il s'agit de repenser cette question à travers l'angle de l'ironie, en tant qu'élément central d'une conception élargie de la parodie. Cette dernière prendrait alors pour objet non seulement une œuvre ou un genre, mais aussi, et surtout, la cité, à travers les «façons de parler» et les discours qui circulent dans l'espace public. La parodie sera donc considérée comme un travail sur l'énonciation, une décontextualisation et une recontextualisation de l'énonciation, et c'est dans ce sens que l'ironie sera considérée comme son élément central: l'ironie apparaît avec l'écart qui se pose entre le contexte et l'énonciation, avec des mises en contact incongrues entre des éléments jugés inconciliables. elle pose un point de vue détaché et discordant, met en œuvre une déstabilisation propre au comique, interpelle et provoque un travail de réception, engendré par une perte de l'évidence et une remise en question de ce qui « va de soi ». C'est ce geste qui s'avère subversif: L'ironie et la parodie invitent chacun à aller au-delà de ses représentations, à repenser ses certitudes, minent de l'intérieur l'autorité et la stabilité des discours dominants, sans pour autant énoncer des vérités simplificatrices. Elles investissent cette potentialité théâtrale qui rend possible la distance, donnent lieu à une imitation non soumise, décalée, décentrée de la cité, ce qui induit une présence du politique dans ces dramaturgies. / Our purpose is to establish the specificity of recent publications (1990 – 2009) identified as the “theatres of speech”, and based upon a worldwide corpus. These plays shape a new political dimension for theatre through ambiguity, considered as an opening for several interpretations, mutually incompatible. In opposition to the vast majority of political theatre works of the XX century, the authors selected in the present corpus refuse to control the outcome of their work on the reader or audience member, or to orientate his/her interpretation in one direction. Ambiguity, in irony and parody, generally causes two kinds of reception: the naïve one, based upon agreement (approval, belief, or fascination), in a context which makes it discordant, or, on the other side, the critical one. The political dimension of these plays appears in the opportunities given to the reader or audience member to question, all by himself, the kinds of manipulation (such as strategy of speech or narration), their effects, as well as the reception habits which make them efficient. These works can then contribute to reduce the impact of manipulation forms based upon habits of naïve reception; hence reduce the action range of strategies based on a “scheme of domination” (Rancière). However, no certainty exists that such opportunities will be used by the reader or audience member. The new political dimension lies in the fact that its visibility is deliberately connected to the singular encounter between the play and each reader or audience member.

A presente dissertação objetiva investigar, relatar e analisar as ações culturais e artísticas promovidas pelo grupo de teatro Dolores Boca Aberta Mecatrônica De Artes. A pesquisa mostra, por meio do relato pessoal de um dos integrantes do grupo, como o coletivo organiza sua estrutura de funcionamento. Aqui são apontados conceitos estruturantes para a filosofia do grupo, como as ideias de Teatro Mutirão e Trabalhador-Artista, além de um levantamento pedagógico de como se deram a construção e apresentação da terceira encenação do grupo, Sombras Dançam Neste Incêndio - Peça Curta em Dois Atos. Dentro das análises, destaca-se a experiência da construção de um teatro feito de árvores, preparado coletivamente pelos próprios espectadores junto com os atores do grupo, o qual chamamos de Arena Arbórea. A perspectiva do trabalho do grupo Dolores Boca Aberta aponta para questões acerca de organização social, debate político, arte e resistência, agitação e propaganda e discussão de modos de produção. / This thesis aims to investigate, report and analyze the cultural or artistic activities promoted by the Dolores Boca Aberta Mecatrônica de Artes Theater Group. The research shows, through the personal report of one of the members, how the group organizes its own operating structure. Some of the structuring concepts of the group\'s philosophy are described and discussed, as well as the ideas of the Task Force theater artistic-workers and a pedagogical survey of the construction and presentation of the third production of the group, \"Shadows dance within this fire - a short play in two acts\". Within the analysis we highlight the experience of the construction of a theatrical space surrounded by trees and called Arboreal Arena, which is collectively prepared by spectators and by the actors of the group. The perspective of the group\'s work points out to questions about social organization, political debate, art and resistance, agitation and propaganda, and the discussion about the means of production.

A presente dissertação objetiva investigar, relatar e analisar as ações culturais e artísticas promovidas pelo grupo de teatro Dolores Boca Aberta Mecatrônica De Artes. A pesquisa mostra, por meio do relato pessoal de um dos integrantes do grupo, como o coletivo organiza sua estrutura de funcionamento. Aqui são apontados conceitos estruturantes para a filosofia do grupo, como as ideias de Teatro Mutirão e Trabalhador-Artista, além de um levantamento pedagógico de como se deram a construção e apresentação da terceira encenação do grupo, Sombras Dançam Neste Incêndio - Peça Curta em Dois Atos. Dentro das análises, destaca-se a experiência da construção de um teatro feito de árvores, preparado coletivamente pelos próprios espectadores junto com os atores do grupo, o qual chamamos de Arena Arbórea. A perspectiva do trabalho do grupo Dolores Boca Aberta aponta para questões acerca de organização social, debate político, arte e resistência, agitação e propaganda e discussão de modos de produção. / This thesis aims to investigate, report and analyze the cultural or artistic activities promoted by the Dolores Boca Aberta Mecatrônica de Artes Theater Group. The research shows, through the personal report of one of the members, how the group organizes its own operating structure. Some of the structuring concepts of the group\'s philosophy are described and discussed, as well as the ideas of the Task Force theater artistic-workers and a pedagogical survey of the construction and presentation of the third production of the group, \"Shadows dance within this fire - a short play in two acts\". Within the analysis we highlight the experience of the construction of a theatrical space surrounded by trees and called Arboreal Arena, which is collectively prepared by spectators and by the actors of the group. The perspective of the group\'s work points out to questions about social organization, political debate, art and resistance, agitation and propaganda, and the discussion about the means of production.

A partir do espetáculo O ano em que sonhamos perigosamente (2015), do grupo pernambucano Magiluth, esta dissertação investiga possibilidades de aproximação entre o teatro contemporâneo e as problemáticas do tempo presente. Conceitos como \"teatros do real\" e \"arte contextual\" são utilizados para analisar as influências da situação política do país e, especialmente do movimento Ocupe Estelita, na criação do espetáculo. Além disso, discutimos de que forma procedimentos do teatro performativo podem ser visualizados no processo criativo e na escritura cênica do grupo e se configuram como práticas de ampliação do potencial político do teatro contemporâneo. Fazemos ainda aproximações e diálogos entre O ano em que sonhamos perigosamente e Nós, do grupo Galpão, através de análises críticas dos espetáculos, para entender características do teatro político nos dias de hoje. / This dissertation investigates possibilities of approximation between contemporary theater and problems related to the present time from the analysis of the play The year of dreaming dangerously (2015), from Magiluth, a theatrical group created in Pernambuco. Concepts such as \"theatre of the real\" and \"contextual art\" are used to analyze the influences of the country\'s political situation, and especially the Occupy Estelita movement, in the creation of the play. In addition, we discuss how performative theatre procedures can be visualized in the creative process and in the group\'s scenic writing and are configured as practices for expanding the political potential of contemporary theatre. We also make approximations and dialogues between The year os dreaming dangerously and We (Nós), from Galpão group, through critical analyzes of the plays, to understand characteristics of political theatre these days.

This thesis gauges the contemporary landscape of political theatre at a time in which everything, and consequently nothing, is political. That is, almost all theatres today proclaim a politics, and yet there is widespread resignation regarding the inevitability of capitalism. This thesis proposes a theory of political action via the theatre: radical theatre today must employ a strategy of "moving targets". Theatrical actions must be adaptable and mobile to seek out the moving targets of capital and track down target audiences as they move through public space. In addition, political theatre must become a moving target to avoid amalgamation into the capitalist system of exchange. I approached this topic through four case studies. Two of the case studies, Reverend Billy's Church of Stop Shopping and the Critical Art Ensemble, are based in the United States. I studied their work via materials - books, essays, videos, websites, interviews, and more - but not in person. The other two case studies are lifted from my own experience with the Christchurch Free Theatre: an original production of Christmas Shopping and a devised production of Karl Kraus' play The Last Days of Mankind. These latter two case studies served as laboratory experiments through which I was able to test ideas and problematics of political theatre that arose through my research. These case studies led to the determination that creating aesthetic experiences and actions - as opposed to having explicitly political content - can be a strategy or foundation for a radical political theatre that resists, undermines, and at times transcends the seeming inevitability of consumer capitalism. In an age in which any political intervention is seen as senseless disruption, a form of pointless violence, this theatre has adopted the strategies of terrorist actions to have a disruptive effect without positing a specific alternative social structure.

My first exposure to Brecht and his theories was as a high school drama student. One of our year twelve assessment tasks was to write and perform our own Brechtian drama using three or more alienation techniques. I wrote a piece about Religion and Fundamentalism, an issue that I felt strongly about at the time. By carefully following my teacher’s instructions and adhering to the assessment criteria I received a VHA. I concluded from this experience that political theatre could be made by following a simple recipe and combining key ingredients. As my knowledge of theatre and my own creative practice developed I came to understand the great complexity of Brechtian theory and the extreme difficulty of creating effective political theatre, that is, theatre that changes the world. Brecht’s theories have been so thoroughly absorbed into contemporary theatre practice that we no longer identify the techniques of Epic Theatre as necessarily political, nor do we acknowledge its radical origins. I have not yet seen a professional production of a Brechtian play but I’ve absorbed on countless occasions the brilliant reinterpretations of Brecht’s theories within the work of contemporary dramatists. My approach to creating political drama is eclectic and irreverent and I’m prepared to beg borrow and steal from the cannon of political theatre and popular media to create a drama that works, a drama that is both entertaining and provocative. Hoods is an adaptation for young audiences of my original play Kingswood Kids (2001). The process of re-purposing Kingwood Kids to Hoods has been a long and complex one. The process has triggered an analysis of my own creative practice and theory, and demanded an in-depth engagement with the theories and practice of key political theatre makers, most notably Brecht and Boal and more contemporary theatre makers such as Churchill, Kane, and Zeal Theatre. The focus of my exegesis is an inquiry into how the dramatist can create a theatre of currency that challenges the dominant culture and provokes critical thinking and political engagement in young audiences. It will particularly examine Brecht’s theory of alienation and argue its continued relevance, exploring how Brechtian techniques can be applied and re-interpreted through an in-depth analysis of my two works for young people, Hoods and Children of the Black Skirt. For the purposes of this short exegesis I have narrowed the inquiry by focusing on four key areas: Transformation, Structure, Pretext, Metatext.

Homme-théâtre, Dario Fo s’inscrit dans un continuel processus de définition de l’auteur comme acteur et de l’acteur comme auteur, qui passe par une affirmation de sa double place en scène et dans la vie publique. Il se fait ainsi le créateur d’une façon de faire du théâtre non pas radicalement neuve mais singulière et qui se distingue dans le panorama théâtral de son temps en envahissant d’autres domaines d’activité et de compétence, ce qui lui permet de conquérir une reconnaissance globale à la fois comme histrion et comme intellectuel. La première partie de la thèse analyse les processus de création pour voir comment Dario Fo se montre auteur en tant qu’écrivain, en tant que comédien et en tant que metteur en scène ou plutôt chef de troupe. La deuxième partie prend en considération la façon dont la figure d’auteur est présentée au public : dans la construction d’un réseau de sens qui donne une cohérence à l’ensemble de l’œuvre, dans la fixation de cette œuvre par des processus d’édition, de captation et d’archivage, et par la diffusion des spectacles en Italie et dans le monde, en présence de l’acteur-auteur ou non. La troisième partie, enfin, revient sur la construction d’une autorité intellectuelle, dans l’élévation de Fo au statut de porte-parole politique et de maître à penser. / Dario Fo is a theatre-man whose work ceaselessly redefines the author as an actor and the actor as an author, in a process that claims his dual position on stage and in public life. He thus creates an approach to theatre that, though not radically new, distinguishes itself in the theatrical landscape of his time, by encroaching on other fields of activity and competency, earning him a global recognition as an actor and intellectual. The first part of this study analyzes the creative process and shows how Dario Fo stages himself as an author through writing, acting and directing. The second part considers how the authorial figure is presented to the public : as part of a larger network of references that lends coherence to his work as a whole, in the fixation of this work through publishing, audio and video-recording and archiving, and through the circulation of his productions in Italy and the world, with or without his presence. The third part analyzes the construction of his intellectual authority, his promotion to the status of political spokesman and mentor.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-08T16:52:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ANEXOA.pdf: 34871 bytes, checksum: a99eddb20f2f49b8e7ad44111435aa86 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-01-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The scientific inquiry presented has as central object the Legislative Theatre, of Augusto Boal. First of all, we try to register the experience carried through by Boal during his public mandate while councilman in the city of Rio de Janeiro in the year of 1993; by that time, the performances resulted on the approval of some municipal laws. From the accomplishment of workshop and interviews with people who had lived deeply the experience of the Legislative Theatre, and also through a critical analysis of the aesthetic, legal and political aspects of this theatrical form, we tried to verify if the Legislative Theatre would be able to extend the democratic participation in the legislative process. Besides that, we searched to inquire how the theatrical dimension would be related with the degree of participation in the legislative theatre. Finally, it has been proved that, beyond reflection, understanding and social inclusion of its participants, the Legislative Theatre is characterized as a tool of social performance / A investigação científica apresentada tem como objeto central o Teatro Legislativo, de Augusto Boal. Primeiramente, buscou-se documentar a experiência realizada por Boal na época de seu mandato político enquanto vereador na cidade do Rio de Janeiro no ano de 1993, que teve como resultado a aprovação de leis municipais, originadas a partir de encenações teatrais. A partir da realização de oficina e entrevistas com pessoas que vivenciaram a experiência do Teatro Legislativo, e através de uma análise crítica dos aspectos estéticos, políticos e jurídicos dessa forma teatral, buscou-se verificar se o Teatro Legislativo seria um instrumento apto a ampliar a participação democrática no processo legislativo. Demais disso, buscou-se averiguar em que medida a dimensão teatral estaria diretamente relacionada com o grau de participação nas práticas de teatro legislativo. Por fim, comprovou-se que, além de oportunizar reflexão, compreensão e conseqüente inclusão de seus participantes, o Teatro Legislativo caracteriza-se como uma ferramenta transdisciplinar de atuação social