Selective Brechtianism: Reworking “Mother Savage” for the German Stage

Abstract

My bilingual (German/English) production of Travelling Light Theatre Company’s (UK) work Mother Savage for the Studiobühne Essen (Germany) in 2012 became a dialogue with Brechtian theatre techniques, and an examination of their relevance in the contemporary theatre. The production utilised a Brechtian design aesthetic, which also questioned the concept of Historisierung (historicisation). The emotionally-restrained acting style was an extended exploration of Brecht’s concept of Gestus, the socially-determined action, in that the story of the 90-minute piece was told predominantly through physical gesture. Our new production of a devised, largely physical-theatre work originally created by another company, can be compared to Brecht’s Modellbuch (model-book) idea. Production choices, such as extended silence and a slow, drawn-out dramaturgical tempo, toyed with the boundaries of performer and audience comfort. This discomfort provoked spectators to observe closely and assess the action critically – demonstrating that, with some adjustments, Brecht’s approaches to performance can still have a strong impact.