The cabaret of poetry of Bertolt Brecht and music of Hanns Eisler and Kurt Weill ran intermittently for two years in various London theatres and venues.
F A C T O R Y F F E S T I V A L
THREEPENNY THEATRE PRESENTS about poor b.b. poems by Bertolt Brecht songs/music by Hanns Eisler and Kurt Weill Poems translated by Jack Kessler, Lillie Hess & Cliff Cocker About the Company: Threepenny Theatre is a new group formed to work in community theatres in and around London. Director: Cliff Cocker. Stage management: Daniel Rovai/Tony Feneck. The company consists of six actors and four musicians: Actors Musicians Van Hinman Richard Baker Michelle Mildwater Belinda Kidd Joe Praml Gina Loishmann Emma Jean Richards Ralph Smith Alexei Sayle Mary Zuckerman The running order of songs and poems is as follows: About Poor B.B. German Miserere Whiskey Bar Hossanah Rockerfeller Abortion is Illegal Cretin Stripper Rockerfeller Nothing Quite Like Money Easter Sunday Is the People Infallible The Difficulty of Government Supply and Demand Little Radio The Invincible Slogan The Service Train Who is the Party Mary Sanders Solidarity The Love of the People Song of the German Mother Since his death in 1956, Bertolt Brecht has become recognized as one of the most important political playwrights and poets. Brecht’s development as a writer is not surprising, set in the context of his life and times. Born in the small provincial town of Augsburg, Bavaria, Brecht was drawn in his youth to the political cabarets of Munich and Berlin, where a whole new generation of German artists were cutting their teeth on the political and social injustices of the post-World War I Weimar Republic. Brecht’s cynical disillusionment with the government of the time is best reflected in the poem Cretin. But his political awakening as a result of his study of Marx and Lenin created the spark which ignited his peculiar genius for poetry and plays, which illuminated the difficulties and triumphs of working people in their struggle for liberation from fascism and capitalism. After the Reichstag fire in 1933, Brecht left Germany the day before his name appeared on Hitler’s black list. The next 14 years of his life were spent in exile in various Scandinavian countries and America. During this period he was an outspoken critic of the fascist regime in Germany and developed his revolutionary theories and practice which sought to make theatre a provincial social and political experience. Brecht returned to East Berlin in 1947 and formed the Berliner Ensemble which gained world-wide renown before and after his death. “About Poor B.B.” is not a biographical account of Brecht’s life. It is an attempt to touch on aspects of his work which are as relevant and provocative today as they were in his lifetime. Hopefully this cabaret will stimulate further interest in Brecht’s life, times and work. Cliff Cocker, Director About The Factory ‘The Factory,’ Marylands Community Theatre, is a building owned by Westminster City Council, whose function is to make available for the local community resources and entertainment of a community arts nature. It has already established a very successful printshop ‘Paddington Printshop’ and now with the opening of the upstairs studio theatre, hopes to entertain children and adults in this multi-racial community with the highest standard of work, and to encourage them to participate in this form of communication. This first production by Threepenny Theatre is the first of a number of productions by theatre groups over the next six weeks. So enjoy yourselves and please come again. Barry Coles |
Van Hinman, Emma Jean Richards, Joe Praml, Michelle Mildwater, Alexei Sayle, Mary Zuckerman
Situated in North Paddington, the Factory at the Marylands Community Center is an empty space which at the very least may provide local people with cheap entertainment and if this week's sample is a measure of things to come, may prove to be one of the most exciting community theatre spaces in London. Over the next six weeks the Factory is opening its doors to various theatre groups before it closes for a nine month conversion period. Get down there and take a look. The building is large and bright and the price for a show is 40p. In a jolly cabaret atmosphere you can drink a generous glass of wine for 20p. The first production by Threepenny Theatre is 'About Poor B.B.', an entertainment based on Brecht's songs and poems. It's a witty account of certain aspects of Brecht's life and work which is performed with vigour and humor by a talented cast. It is as relevant today as in Brech't own lifetime.
(Ann McFerran) |