Mother Courage and Her Children | National Theatre

[mariamzad]

how can i watch this version online ??

[SuperLimeDude]

@mariamzad oh I also wanna know how can I see a version of brecht's play Mutter Courage online and I can't find it anywhere! Have you managed to do this? plase help me too then :)

[GreatGrumbledook]

Well, one can say what one want about Monsieur Hitler, the late ruler of Germany, but that he drove the non-poet Berholt Brecht in reputes banishment is one his merits; he may have been a man twisted by unbridled ambition, a man haunted by insatiable greed and the most evil man in the world, but during his rule the intellectual trash was driven out of Germany; especially my personal foes the Frankfurt tomfools under their rag king, whose god-abhorred name I will not utter here.

[morwenmur]

@GreatGrumbledook please tell me you're just looking for a fight by saying stuff like that

[GreatGrumbledook]

@morwenmur: Look, what I speak, my life shall prove it true; now, Brecht, do I turn to thee, and mark my greeting well; for what I speak my body shall make good upon this earth, or my divine soul answer it in heaven. Thou art a traitor and a miscreant, too good to be so and too bad to live, since the more fair and crystal is the sky, the uglier seem the clouds that in it fly. Once more, the more to aggravate the note, with a foul traitor's name stuff I thy throat!

[GreatGrumbledook]

And wish, so please my sovereign, ere I move, what my tongue speaks my right drawn sword may prove. Let not my cold words here accuse my zeal: 'tis not the trial of a woman's war, the bitter clamour of two eager tongues, can arbitrate this cause betwixt us twain; the blood is hot that must be cool'd for this: Setting aside my high blood's royalty, I do defy him, and I spit at him; call him a slanderous coward and a villain:

[GreatGrumbledook]

Which to maintain I would allow him odds, and meet him, were I tied to run afoot even to the frozen ridges of the Alps, or any other ground inhabitable, where ever Englishman durst set his foot. Pale trembling coward, there I throw my gage. If guilty dread have left thee so much strength as to take up mine honour's pawn, then stoop: By that and all the rites of knighthood else, will I make good against thee, arm to arm, what I have spoke, or thou canst worse devise.

[morwenmur]

@GreatGrumbledook o ... kay. Guess i'll just take that as a yes then.

[GreatGrumbledook]

@morwenmur: O, the Gods defend my soul from such deep sin! Shall I seem crest-fall'n in the sight of a non-poet? Or with pale beggar-fear impeach my height before you out-dared dastard Brecht? Ere my tongue shall wound my honour with such feeble wrong, or sound so base a parle, my teeth shall tear the slavish motive of recanting fear, and spit it bleeding in his high disgrace, where shame doth harbour, even in the dumb face of Brecht!

[morwenmur]

@GreatGrumbledook you haven't really said why you seem to hate Brecht as much. may i know the answer?

[GreatGrumbledook]

@morwenmur: Apart from that I know him for a knave; a rascal; an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundred-pound, filthy, worsted-stocking knave; a lily-livered, action-taking knave, a whoreson, glass-gazing, super-serviceable finical rogue; one-trunk-inheriting slave; one that wouldst be a bawd, in way of good service, and that he is nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward, pandar, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch:

[GreatGrumbledook]

@morwenmur: one whom I will beat into clamorous whining, if he denies the least syllable of his addition? Well, I guess it comes from being forced to read his awful non-poetry in the Germans lessons a couple of years ago; the German children for sure read Goethe and Schiller but we foreigners get that revolting annoyance to read, so that we refuse to learn German properly or what else evil device is behind this scheme.

[morwenmur]

@GreatGrumbledook so basically you just didn't like learning about him? I'm sorry but i don't understand how that can be an excuse to say what you did in your original post about Hitler. I'm also guessing you are a "wannabe German" by your above comment? I'm not getting at you at all, but please don't say that Hitler's actions were justified just because you didn't like learning about someone at school. (if that is what you meant. I'm not so good with verse.)

[GreatGrumbledook]

@morwenmur: Excuse! You protector of this damned strumpet Brecht, talk you to me of "excuses"? You are a communist: Off with your head! Now, by Saint Paul I swear, I will not dine until I see the same! An no: I am French but account Germany as a sister nation due to the Realm of the Franks and hope that their mutual self-destruction, which allowed the foul Americans to enslave Europe, are past; while I have no personal or morale objection against any actions of Monsieur Hitler.

[GreatGrumbledook]

@morwenmur: Hitler was for sure a man twisted by unbridled ambition, a man haunted by insatiable greed! The most evil man in the world and a mindless killer! But he had still Furtwaengler and Karajan to conduct Beethoven! Plus his fancy tanks and warplanes, so I do not know if I could have resisted him: Commanding a division of Panther and Tiger tanks is quite a temptation; but no: I am not a votary of his though not an enemy either: Who can ally with Stalin can do so too with Hitler.

[morwenmur]

@GreatGrumbledook Although I am a "communist" - I use the word with great reluctance since it's meaning has become so twisted no one can use it correctly. I call myself a Marxist: I believe in the Utopian vision of worldwide equality - I am not an ally of Stalin nor will i ever be. No one is completely evil, I understand that. However, Hitler *and* Stalin came pretty close. People's attitude towards communism and facism are the same, although *originally* they stood on totally different sides

[GreatGrumbledook]

@morwenmur: Allo, dappy Communist coxcomb and your disgraceful god-substitute Karl Marx, who has the brain of a duck, you know. So, we French fellows outwit you a second time! How you Communists say, 'I one more time, mac, unclog my nose in your direction', son of a window-dresser! So, you think you could out-clever us French folk with your endless screams and inane babble about Hitler?! I wave my private parts at your aunties, you cheesy lot of second hand electric donkey-bottom biters.

[morwenmur]

@GreatGrumbledook I'd rather be called a "commie" than a "fascist", and i try to show that in my arguements and opinions. I am interested to know which you would rather be called. Of course, everyone has a right to say what they feel. It's just a matter of using common sense in phrasing those expressions of feeling. With or without meaning to (I'm assuming the latter), your original post did offend me (me being jewish). I am aware you had no way of knowing and so i apologize

[GreatGrumbledook]

@morwenmur: Neither, little coxcomb; apart from being French you can use the words Aristotelian, Machiavellian, Republican (in the Roman sense), Democrat (in the Greek sense) when it comes to politics; and believe me: Though I favour greatly the republic for the sake of ancient Rome I am no principal foe to the monarchy; but there is no remedy in being Jewish in this case: As I will always did with the great detractors of the Jews, the Romans and the Germans; and invoke Tacitus:

[GreatGrumbledook]

"Moyses, wishing to secure for the future his authority over the nation, gave them a novel form of worship, opposed to all that is practised by other men. Things sacred with us, with them have no sanctity, while they allow what with us is forbidden."

[morwenmur]

@GreatGrumbledook Oh, well done! You have successfully managed to quote Monty Python! I'm kinda tired of this now so you just go ahead and think up some more witty replies to this. i've tried being polite and that obviously isn't working so i just cant be bothered with you anymore. Say whatever you want, but to be perfectly honest, you probably aren't making many friends with your comments. If you want to be a fascist, fine.

[GreatGrumbledook]

@morwenmur: I never understood all this fuss about Monsieur Mussolini! Unified Italy is a mere operetta state, when kind Monsieur Adolf Hitler came to power in warlike Germany he easily laid most of the civilized world in ruins and might have prevailed against the USA and the Soviet Union, if he had left the war affairs to his very capable field commanders; while Monsieur Mussolini was defeated by the Greeks and even the English; and of course I will answer this remark with a quote:

[GreatGrumbledook]

"Lucius: believe me, Caesar is no Caesarian. Were Rome a true republic, then were Caesar the first of Republicans."

[morwenmur]

@GreatGrumbledook for jumping into a fight with you.

[miridove]

I wish I could've seen this so much. Fiona Shaw is amazing and this is definitely a surprising interpretation.

[TamChronic]

Everybody here is right when they say that Bertolt Brecht's intention is to emotionally alienate and distance the audience from the characters- but it's interesting, because one could argue that the story Mother Courage and her Children is quite emotional and dramatic. I've heard many people say that it's the least 'Brechtian' of his plays, and that if he had only written this one play, he would be remembered as a master of the dramatic medium.

[SafeTravls]

CRANK DAT COURAGE

[Shivelpuff23]

I was really dispointed :/

- but went to see a rivival of Becketts end game on the same day which was incredible!

[misstears002]

This was the most stunning show I have ever seen

[monstarika]

Amazing production. The best I've seen in a while. Shaw was INCREDIBLE. Spectacular. Hope it tours a bit around Europe so that I might get to see it again.

[ShinyShinyPlayThing]

Staggering. Put Fiona Shaw in anything directed by Deborah Warner and it's going to be worth seeing.

[StarlightMelody]

One of the most surprising theatrical experiences I had ! Very creative direction, powerful visual and light effects and wonderful music by Duke Special. His voice haunts your mind long after you watched the play. After the performance, Duke Special and his musicians offered us a gig at the foyer of the National Theatre. Fiona Shaw was there too. Incredible energy after a three-hour play !!

Irish are pure energy ! :D

[MrsAaaaaaagje]

IT WAS AMAZING!!!

I saw it sunday 01/11 in the national theatre.

The singer's voice is very beautyfull ^^

It was my first time in London, and it won't be my last I'm sure!

I'm planning to study in London for theatre or musical ^^.

[aquaria334]

The play was too much of a spectacle for me. It felt more like a rock concert than a piece of theatre. I guess never having been to the National Theatre I didn't expect such a big space and all the special effects but still. No emotional impact whatsoever. Not a good example of epic theatre.

Music was okay though. I liked the band a lot.

[George5210]

Not meaning to sound like a total snob here, but the theatre of Bertolt Brecht was designed not to have an emotional impact so that the audience would think more about the situations and how the characters ended up there rather than individual troubles, it was theatre that linked with his Marxist views and he wanted the audience to be active and feel they could make a change to society! So it's good that it didn't make emotional impact!

[charlieiih]

@George5210 Actually Brecht was not completely against emotion, in some of his plays he does in fact evoke it. Although, you are right in his intention of impacting the audience into taking action.

[jmrich18]

@George5210 Brecth is not completely void of emotional impact. His characters were created so as not to be sympathized with by the audience, true, but the plays in general definitely insight an emotional impact, otherwise the audience would never be moved to change. Mother Courage makes my blood boil. Not so much riled up over the events in play so much as situation presented through the play, but still quite riled.

[myloverisbillmurray]

indeed i think ur confusing epic theatre with theatre that is epic. epic theatre was episodic, disjointed, and the large space was proabably used intentioanlly so they couldnt fill it. Countering Shaws inevitably mesmeric performance with a vapid empty, unrelenting space would seem, i feel, a stroke of geniius....i saw is, and my over riding thought was that in fact, nothing was compromised. ur dead on, biut it shouldnt be a criticsm, its an achievement.

[ghostgurl212]

The whole point of a play written by Berlot Brecht is that is has no emotional impact what so ever. The use of the rock concert interruptions, changing on stage, being able to see crew, screens telling the action and narration all contribute to emotionally distancing the audience which is what Brecht does. He does not want you to be emotionally involved, he wants you to be constantly reminded that it is a play and not reality, hence disabling you from forming emotional connections.

[katerocks4life]

Brecht never wanted anyone to feel any emotion towards the characters. He wanted to distance you from them.

[TVfreakje1]

Personally I think that kind of failed for me. I did feel sorry for certain characters in Mutter Courage, while in other plays of Brecht the emotional distance remained.

[Bowdee101]

@aquaria334 I dont think u understood what u saw... read up on Brecht

[Captainjohntaylor]

I saw it 2 days ago one word: AWESOME!!

[Cassabc]

saw the play last night - as well! - and it was so good. My first Brect piece on theatre and I thought that she was amazing. The whole cast was so good especially sophie something who played the mute girl. And harry melling - totally didn't realise his character for ages. looks nothing like dudley!

hard hitting piece though.

[cyborys]

this was one powerful production...TIme Out dissed it, but i thought fiona shaw combined the tensile strength needed and grittiness the role demanded

[nicrob2]

anyone know what the songs called?

[prettybutterfly2007]

MOther Courage I belive - think this is the title song

[veitchguitar]

Saw the play last night. Absolutely fantastic.

[Northern1Lass]

saw this play last night at the national, omg it was just...mind blowing!!!

[upstatelugh]

Will this play be touring Ireland?

[atkygal]

Love this, love him and love the play. Music is brilliant

[minervamcgonagall86]

i'm flying all the way from australia for closing night...CANNOT WAIT!

[elvisleslie61]

great trailer btw looking forward to hearing the album too

[elvisleslie61]

the music fits the play so well and merges the two worlds of acting and music perfectly

[treebeccjess]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the play at the weekend. Especially after seeing this! Fiona shaw is a brilliant Actor and the music sounds amazing too!

[veitchguitar]

That's a great trailer. Even from that short clip the music is really adding to the atmosphere. Can't wait to see the play on Saturday. Have heard quite a bit of the music from the play already and I know it is going to be fantastic!

[itsMrAG]

Like all progress in serious Art, the "shock of the new" isn't popular with everyone! - My friends love it from the top class acting talent led by Fiona Shaw to Duke Special and the band's thrilling music. The audience packing the Duke Special gigs in the lobby and buying the CDs seem more in accord with sincurea.

[luggins]

The music is as terrible as I heard it was.

[sinecurea]

The music is a great as I heard it was :-)