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Barker: Plays One
Includes the plays Victory, The Europeans, The Possibilities and Scenes from an Execution
.Howard Barker is one of the most significant and controversial dramatists of his time. His plays challenge, unsettle and expose. These plays are among his best-known works, and their energy, poetic language and imagination have fixed them firmly in the international repertoire.
Exploring the tragic form defined by Barker as Theatre of Catastrophe, three of the plays speculate on human behaviour in moments of historical crisis. Victory is set in the English Civil War and follows the ethical voyage of a widow towards personal reconstruction. The Europeans takes one of the great eruptions of Islamic imperialism as the background for a young woman's insistence on her right to her own identity. Scenes from an Execution shows the struggle of an independently-minded artist against the power of the Venetian state.The Possibilities, a disturbing series of short plays set in various times and cultures, reveals Barker's unconventional way with moral dilemmas.
.Howard Barker is one of the most significant and controversial dramatists of his time. His plays challenge, unsettle and expose. These plays are among his best-known works, and their energy, poetic language and imagination have fixed them firmly in the international repertoire.
Exploring the tragic form defined by Barker as Theatre of Catastrophe, three of the plays speculate on human behaviour in moments of historical crisis. Victory is set in the English Civil War and follows the ethical voyage of a widow towards personal reconstruction. The Europeans takes one of the great eruptions of Islamic imperialism as the background for a young woman's insistence on her right to her own identity. Scenes from an Execution shows the struggle of an independently-minded artist against the power of the Venetian state.The Possibilities, a disturbing series of short plays set in various times and cultures, reveals Barker's unconventional way with moral dilemmas.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Howard Barker
123 books29 followersHoward Barker is an English playwright. His plays have been produced at the Royal Court, the RSC and the National Theatre, throughout Europe and the USA and by his own company, The Wrestling School. He is best known as the exponent of the Theatre of Catastrophe. He is a theatre theorist, a poet and a painter. His work has been the subject of a number of book-length studies and academic conferences.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 9, 2020
This five star review is based on the two excellent plays in the collection, 'Scenes from an Execution' and 'Victory'.
Scenes from an Execution is a brilliant play about the purpose of art. However, don't take anything at face value. The character with artistic integrity, who refuses to paint a battle in any other way than the most gruesome way imaginable, puts the political before the personal. She sacrifices her freedom in order to make a point. The painting was supposed to be a celebration of a Venetian victory. What Barker does brilliantly though is critique this character and their enjoyment of playing the martyr. Also, she has never actually seen a battle and doesn't know what they're really like, so any claims she makes for absolutevrealism above all, and artistic integrity, must be viewed through the prism that she doesn't actually know what a battle really looks like.
Victory is my preferred play of the collection. Though I doubt it will ever be as successful as Scenes from an Execution, it has such a wide range of characters and voices, brilliant comedy and insightful political commentary. One of my favourite modern plays. Up there with Martin Mcdonagh's Hangmen.
The other two plays, the Europeans and the Possibilities, are less engaging. The Europeans explores the brutality and absurdity of death and murder, without ever sounding in your face political, or overly didactic. The Possibilities is actually (though under one group title) a collection of one act plays, exploring different themes. The Possibilities is really well written, but limited by the plays length.
Overall, what a fantastic collection. Victory is one of my new personal favourites and I have found another modern writer I really enjoy and will be reading more of.
Scenes from an Execution is a brilliant play about the purpose of art. However, don't take anything at face value. The character with artistic integrity, who refuses to paint a battle in any other way than the most gruesome way imaginable, puts the political before the personal. She sacrifices her freedom in order to make a point. The painting was supposed to be a celebration of a Venetian victory. What Barker does brilliantly though is critique this character and their enjoyment of playing the martyr. Also, she has never actually seen a battle and doesn't know what they're really like, so any claims she makes for absolutevrealism above all, and artistic integrity, must be viewed through the prism that she doesn't actually know what a battle really looks like.
Victory is my preferred play of the collection. Though I doubt it will ever be as successful as Scenes from an Execution, it has such a wide range of characters and voices, brilliant comedy and insightful political commentary. One of my favourite modern plays. Up there with Martin Mcdonagh's Hangmen.
The other two plays, the Europeans and the Possibilities, are less engaging. The Europeans explores the brutality and absurdity of death and murder, without ever sounding in your face political, or overly didactic. The Possibilities is actually (though under one group title) a collection of one act plays, exploring different themes. The Possibilities is really well written, but limited by the plays length.
Overall, what a fantastic collection. Victory is one of my new personal favourites and I have found another modern writer I really enjoy and will be reading more of.
October 22, 2020
Victory *****
The Europeans ****
The Possibilities *****
Scenes from an Execution ****
The Europeans ****
The Possibilities *****
Scenes from an Execution ****
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews