Winter Nights.

[elizadarcy]

I have been reading about Ingmar Bergman and Brecht, as I had been planning to do for quite some time. I've also been reading about Howard Brenton, as I discovered some slightly dusty and badly photocopied plays of his in the library. I was quite intrigued by the title Hitler Dances and I tried to decipher the pages but didn't have the essential

Comments

[trousseaux]

Oh we've studied Brecht in passing and performed some of The Caucasian (spelling?) Chalk Circle. It was very good, he's a very effective playwright (for want of a better word).

I know how you feel. All that we don't know constantly amazes me, and it's that rush that keeps me in school and makes me bitterly wish I'd done History.

[uglysses]

a short but nice introduction to brecht with some well selected quotes is here: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/brecht.htm
even a strophe of the 'alabama song' is quoted there and i´m sure you know that there is a recording of bowie singing this one :)

[elizadarcy]

No, I didn't know! Wonder if you the rats as big as cats line is one by Bowie, or a common expression or from WEapons of Happiness[Howard Brenton].

[speakbitterness]

Ingmar Bergman is The greatest living artist in any genre. Fact. He's also a large part of the reason I moved to Sweden. And I'm saying this as someone who's not really much of a film fan. Watch his films as soon as you can.

Funnily enough Howard Brenton has a new play on at the National in London at the moment - Paul it's called, I think. Caused a bit of a stir there. I'm hoping to get a chance to see it when I go home for Christmas.

And Brecht....well Brecht's a huge favourite from way back in my youth. Most everything he's written's good but I reccomend Baal, threepenny Opera, caucasian chalk circle, Mother courage and Gallileo. Even more I would recomend seeing a good production of one of his plays but that's fairly hard in Europe, I can't imagine it's much easier there.

[elizadarcy]

I'm ready to believe that about Bergman, even though I haven't seen too many great living artists and havent watched his films. But I will, god is my witness etc.

I found Brenton very good though...