The Complete Brecht Toolkit by Stephen Unwin

by Stephen Unwin

A practical, hands-on guide - for actors, directors, teachers and students - to Brecht's theory and practice of theatre, with a full set of exercises to help put theory into practice.The Complete Brecht Toolkit examines, one by one, Brecht's many, sometimes contradictory ideas about theatre - and how he put them into practice. Here are explanations of all the famous key terms, such as Alienation Effect, Epic Theatre and Gestus, as well as many others which go to make up what we think of as 'Brechtian theatre'. The book also explores the practical application of these theories in Acting, Language, Music, Design and Direction. Also included are fifty exercises contributed by Julian Jones, to help student actors investigate Brecht's ideas for themselves, becoming thoroughly familiar with the tools in the Brecht toolkit."A thorough yet crystal clear explanation of Brecht's more complicated techniques and ideas." - Teaching Drama Magazine"One of the best introductory books on Brecht currently in circulation... Unwin [presents] the theoretical and practical ideas of Bertolt Brecht in a clear, concise and connected way so that students and practitioners may consider the importance of his work in the twenty-first century." - A Younger Theatre"A useful, refreshing, no-nonsense introduction to a practitioner who can be contradictory and is often misunderstood." - The StageStephen Unwin is one of Britain’s leading theatre and opera directors. He worked at the Traverse Theatre in the 1980s, founded English Touring Theatre in 1993, and in 2008 was appointed Artistic Director of the Rose Theatre, Kingston. He has written guides to Shakespeare’s plays; Ibsen, Chekhov and Strindberg; twentieth-century Drama; the plays of Bertolt Brecht; and So You Want To Be A Theatre Director?Julian Jones , who contributed the exercises included in The Complete Brecht Toolkit , is Senior Lecturer in Acting at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance.

Genres: Theatre, Germany, Nonfiction, Plays

Paperback

First published October 1, 2012

Reviews

[Eve K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book! A clear and comprehensive introduction to and analysing of Brecht. As a director, it’s sometimes hard to find books that are helpful since a lot of guides are targeted towards actors, but this is definitely one. Even if you’re not planning on directing a Brecht piece, it has useful ideas that can expand one’s view on theatre and how it’s done. The book is excellent for a director, but it also has sections and 50 exercises towards actors and teachers.

My only critique of the book was the chapter on defining epic theatre. If you don’t know what it is, it can be confusingly formatted. I ended up googling the term and then the chapter made sense, but you can also skip to the end of page 59, where it summarises epic theatre, and then go back to read the chapter.

[Jon Davison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointing. This book had been sitting on my must-read shelf for a while and i had great hopes for it. I assumed, by the title, and the fact that it contained exercises, that it would be eminently practical, and written from a point of view of practitioners with great experience and awareness about Brecht, his methods, and their applicability today. But the exercises occupy a rather small chapter at the end, which is introduced by a section in which the author and his colleague involved in devising the exercises admit to, respectively, not knowing how to teach Brecht to actors, and never having really 'got' Brecht. As someone who started my career in Brecht-influence productions and has always struggled to 'get' Stanislavski, I would never dream of writing a book entitled 'The Stanislavski Toolkit'.

[Mark Ludmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful introduction to acting in and directing Brecht, covering the main elements of his theatrical style and discussing how these can be applied to modern productions. As the author, a theatre director, admits, it is a brief, superficial overview but it draws on much of Brecht’s own writings on theatre. It is short on references and full citations, relying mostly on the author’s own views of Brecht.

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an enjoyable read, and quite effective in demonstrating the reach of Brecht's influence on modern theatre, as playwright, director, and theorist of the theatre - with demonstrations of specific aspects of Brecht's approach using the author's own directorial work for practical examples and some ensemble exercises that seem fun and useful - I'd use some of these in my own classes - developed with the assistance of an acting professor who admits to struggling with Brechtian theory as an actor. It's not a fawning book, not does it sanctify its subject, but it appreciates Brecht without being afraid to argue with him. I don't know that I would describe this as a "toolkit," but it's a book that will enrich my theatre practice and perhaps yours.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly clear insight into Brechts life and work. Perfect for those studying acting or teaching it!